Villagers enjoy tea at home in Tongmu village of Wuyi Mountain, East China's Fujian province on April 11. [Photo/Xinhua]

Once a poverty-stricken village, Tongmu in East China's Fujian province has jumped on the wagon of rural vitalization in recent years.

Situated in the natural reserve of Wuyi Mountain and with an elevation of nearly a thousand meters, it has abundant vegetation resources.

But, factors like the combination of rugged landscape and poor transportation connections with the outside world have long kept the village mired in poverty.

Tea planting has for decades been the major way for locals to eke out a living.

Jiang Xuanxun, 55, is a native tea grower in the village, as were his ancestors.

Eying the increasingly robust market demand for black tea, Jiang took the initiative to set up a tea company in the village years ago and turned it into a huge success.

His ever growing business inspired a lot of villagers to follow suit, including those who used to migrate to cities to seek jobs.

Presently, nearly all the 430 households in Tongmu are engaged in the tea business, which has become a characteristic road to shake off poverty and gain prosperity.

In 2017, the annual per capita income of the village reached 20,810 yuan (roughly $3,311), much higher than the national poverty line of 2,300 yuan.

China is pressed for time to lift all people out of poverty by 2020, which is the year by which the central government has pledged to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.