Turning point
By 2006, there were no new cases of drug use in the village. Because of their efforts and dedication, Pai Nanxiang and her teammates were honored as national rule-of-law figures that year.
Walking around Kanan, which is home to members of the Jingpo ethnic group, two- and three-story villas can be seen on both sides of the paved road, and mango trees flourish in front of almost every house. Motorbikes are the main form of transportation, while better-off families have cars.
"It is a beautiful village now, but back then, the houses were poorly built and thefts happened quite often," Yang Guo, an officer at the nearby Jiele border station, said.
"I have been working here in Kanan village for over a decade. In addition to border patrols, our duties include prevention of drug use, educating local people about drugs and monitoring those who have recovered to prevent relapse," the 43-year-old said.
People now can resist illicit drugs voluntarily after 40 years of anti-drug education.
"Some of the villagers have started their own businesses, and some have found jobs in other cities. Life is becoming much better now," Yang said.
Provincial progress
Kanan is a symbol of Yunnan's achievements in combating the drug trade. As a major front in the nation's battle against such crime, the province has made great progress in the fight against illicit drugs over the past four decades, local officials told a recent news briefing.
Hu Shuiwang, an official with the Yunnan Narcotics Control Commission, said that since 1982, more than 450 metric tons of drugs have been seized and about 510,000 people have been detained on charges related to drug crimes. By May, the number of existing drug users in the province had fallen to 127,300 from 160,000 in 2016, while new cases are declining year-on-year, he added.
Now, Zhao Laiyou's brother has joined her in the family's pig business, and they have already sold 20 pigs for 40,000 yuan ($5,972) this year.
Pai Nanxiang's younger son has joined a civilian border patrol team to help protect his hometown.
Meanwhile, in addition to developing Kanan's traditional pig farming industry, the locals are developing countryside tourism with Jingpo ethnic features to encourage more people to visit the village.
