Rows of villas are built for villagers free of charge in Zhongnan village, Haimen. [Photo/WeChat account: dongzhouchengshi]

Zhongnan village in Haimen, Nantong has witnessed rapid growth over the past few decades, with its per capita annual income reaching 43,000 yuan ($6,075.9) in 2019.

This prosperity is a result of the expansion of Zhongnan Group, a locally-based construction company founded in 1988 by Chen Jinshi, who is now chairman of the company, along with 28 fellow villagers. After several decades, the company is now one of China's top 500 private companies.

As secretary of the village's Party committee, Chen has taken full advantage of the company's industrial strength to help improve living standards for the locals.

He built a number of farms in the village and created jobs for local seniors in need of income. Nearly 400 villagers have gotten involved in the company's construction business, which brings in about 30 million yuan per year.

In July 2018, the village established a joint-stock cooperative involving 111 villagers and collecting more than 3 million yuan.

The money has been used to boost the development of rural tourism in the village, including the building a commercial center and six glass greenhouses for family tours and science activities.

In recent years, the village has been making efforts to improve people's living environment by upgrading infrastructure and unifying residential areas.

The village is home to a civil park covering an area of 60,000 square meters, a provincial-level gateball court covering an area of 2,000 sq m, and a 2,500-sq m public square.

A total of 395 villas had been built in the village by the end of 2019. According to local officials, they aim to have a villa for every village household by late June this year.