LANZHOU, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Early in the morning, Shang Xinyi, a fifth grader from northwest China's Gansu Province, put on her blue school uniform and headed to the bus stop with great enthusiasm.

Shang hails from Lijie Village in Zhouqu County -- a region prone to geological disasters -- and going to school used to be a challenging task as rainfalls meant muddy roads and concerns about landslides. But, she is no longer afraid of rainy days, thanks to China's relocation project.

"I can reach school in about 10 minutes on the school bus, and it can save me from the messy journey of the past when the only way to get to school was via the rugged mountain roads," Shang said.

"Mom told me mountain torrents were like a nightmare that occurred frequently on rainy seasons, and the villagers were afraid to sleep at night, fearing that their houses will be washed away," she added.

Hu Wucheng, 41, a native of Zhouqu's Hujialiang Village, also suffered significantly from the adverse weather. In 2008, Hu built a small courtyard using the money he had saved over a long period of time through hard work. The courtyard he cherished most, however, would be his source of misery every rainy season.

"Unfortunately, a severe rainstorm last year triggered landslides and cracked the yard's foundation, and the house to which I devoted half of my life became the cause of my heartbreak," he said.

Over the decade, more than 10 major geological disasters struck Zhouqu County. "The ground has been so loose that moving out seemed the best option," said Dou Jianglong, Party secretary of Hujialiang Village.

Shang first expressed her desire to leave the mountains at the age of nine during a family discussion about the government's relocation policy for areas with frequent natural disasters.

To completely solve the plight induced by repeated disasters, Gansu Province launched a relocation project last June, through which 850 families in Zhouqu moved to Lanzhou New Area, a national-level development zone in the provincial capital Lanzhou, last September.

Hu received a relocation subsidy of 100,000 yuan (about 15,830 U.S. dollars) and was given 0.8 hectares of plowland. The Lanzhou New Area also offered Hu a loan of 50,000 yuan with discounted interest rate and free skill development training.

"For children, moving out ushered in a new chapter of life, bringing them new hopes," said Xue Shuqin, Shang's mother.

"The classroom here is spacious and bright, and as I walk into the class every morning, I always find hot breakfast placed on the desk," Shang said.

Shang has been passionate about painting since she was a child, but due to the limited resources in her hometown, she was unable to pursue it. Thanks to hobby classes at her school, she is now living her dream under professional guidance.

"I feel very lucky. Moving out of the mountains has brought me closer to my dream of painting," she said.