The men of Blue Dragon village are taking in their autumn harvest, fanning out in small teams across their fields.

Corncobs litter the land. The men pick them up by hand and throw them into waiting tractor trailers.

It is a typical scene in China's countryside. But this is no ordinary village. As far as the authorities are concerned, it does not exist.

You cannot find it on any map. The power cables have all been cut.

None of the dozens of families in Blue Dragon village has official ID cards required for social services, and to travel and work around the country.

"I just want my identity back," says Liang Qiquan, a farmer. "The government promised that it would address this issue but it never did."

'Won't move'
The villagers' problems date back over a decade, to when the authorities built a reservoir on their ancestral lands.


It provides fresh drinking water to the rapidly expanding city of Harbin, famed for its huge ice sculptures displayed during the harsh winters.

More than 200 homes lie submerged beneath the reservoir's surface.

The villagers say they received little or no compensation for their homes. They were supposed to live in neighbouring districts.

It is a story that you hear time and time again across China - farmers swept off their land in the rush for economic development.

But this story has a different ending. A group built a new village beside the reservoir's edge without official permission.

It was an act of defiance - the villagers standing up against the authorities.

But they were to be punished for their actions.

When we contacted the Harbin authorities they said they were "fully aware of the issue".

One official - who declined to give his name - said the farmers had received "a lot" of compensation money.

Despite this they had chosen to "illegally" return to their lands.

He said the area was prone to flooding and that was why the authorities wanted the Blue Dragon residents to leave the area.

'Constant struggle'
Back in the village, it is the issue of official ID cards and resident papers that weighs most on people's minds.

Without these papers the villagers live in limbo.

Qi Yahui has a four-month baby and a young son. Neither has a birth certificate. Officially, they do not even exist.

By Martin Patience
BBC News, Blue Dragon village, northern China

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