The village of Xiamaguan in the poverty-stricken region of Ningxia is home to about 100 families. A majority of them have had their lives upturned by drug abuse. Many of the villagers here know at least one person involved in drug trafficking.

Drug smuggling became rampant in China in the 1980s, when many people saw it as an easy way out of poverty. Xiamaguan was one of the villages where people saw opportunities in drug trafficking.

We visited the village and met families who were torn apart by drug abuse.

If you liked this video, we have more stories about rural life in China, including:

China’s Last Cave Village
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7sy2l0

China’s Lantern Town
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7qydc7

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Producer: Tom Wang
Script: Weiyu Qian
Editor: Ryan Putranto
Animator: Ray Ngan
Narration and Mastering: Victor Peña

Music: Audio Network