Women learn traditional Yi-style embroidery at a farmer school in Xide county, Sichuan province. [Photo by Ye Zizhen/China Daily]

Sichuan province announced on Nov 17 that its last seven "impoverished counties" have been officially lifted from poverty, bringing China closer to ending absolute poverty by the end of this year.

Xide, which is located in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, is one such county. Since it established cooperative ties with Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, in April of this year, the county has received continued support from Hangzhou people.

Following the pairing of Hangzhou's 19 companies and four social organizations with Xide's 18 villages, Hangzhou has also offered generous financial, material, and talent support to the remote county.

For example, Hangzhou has donated 3.03 million yuan ($463,198) in cash and 3.72 million yuan in goods to Xide. On June 10, Geely Group, a Hangzhou-based auto giant, offered free vehicle repair training to 50 students from impoverished families. Loong Airlines promised that it would support the compulsory education of 18 students with an annual subsidy of 3,000 yuan. And the Hangzhou Chamber of Commerce in Chengdu, as well as Longbang Construction Co, donated school uniforms and stationeries to local primary schools.

On Sept 25, a special delivery truck set off for Xide carrying nearly 4,000 down jackets, 100 duvets, and 1,600 books donated by the Hangzhou federation of industry and commerce, the Hangzhou civil affairs bureau (charity federation), and the Hangzhou chamber of commerce in Shanghai.

Social organizations in Hangzhou donate money and supplies to Xide county. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]