Yantian, a village in Dongguan located at the southeastern tip of Guangdong province and neighboring Shenzhen, has distinguished itself as the first village in the city to break through a total assets of 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars), a milestone highlighted in a recent government work report.

Spanning an area of 24 square kilometers and home to approximately 150,000 residents, Yantian has experienced significant industrial growth, thanks to the introduction of key projects. This village has a history of embracing reform and opening up since 1979, attracting a multitude of entrepreneurs and leading the way in industrial transformation and upgrading.

Two key factors have underpinned Yantian's success: the local decision-makers' keen awareness of market trends, which has guided the village's commercial and investment strategies towards more profitable avenues, and a commitment to transparency in development projects, management, and investments. Public notice boards in the village display monthly operational conditions, including economic figures, revenue, expenditure, and major decisions, ensuring residents like Deng Tianfu are well-informed about the village committee's actions.

"Villagers can quickly learn about the income and expenditure and major decisions of the village committee via this notice board. This way, villagers can always know what the village committee is doing," said Deng Tianfu, a resident of Yantian.

The integration of government services from Shenzhen and Dongguan has greatly benefited Yantian's residents and migrants.

"Because I think this place is nice, it's developing. It's good to raise children here. It's very safe. It's better than [a]big city, I think. It's more calm and more comfortable here. I like that we have many parks here. We can go anywhere with children, parks here and there and a golf club. And the place we live has a park," said Eugene Pogodoff, Ukrainian immigrant in Yanhui.

"I've been in Dongguan for almost 10 years. I like it here a lot because the transportation is very convenient. It's also convenient to go shopping outside the city during my holidays," said Huang Yan, a resident of Yantian.

"As the first 10-billion-yuan village in Dongguan, I feel very proud. Through becoming the first 10-billion-yuan village in Dongguan, the appearance of our village, including park greening, road upgrades, and the living environment, has been greatly improved. We find life in Yantian very convenient, and we are happy," said Deng Tianfu.