you need to learn basic agricultural knowledge and Chinese histo

大寨's contribution to China is huge. It solved the problem that had never been solved in the history in China: agricultural products always depended on weather. Once the weather was in bad condition, either dry or over raining, the nation was in the status of food shortage. Many people were hungary or died of starvation.

The experience from 大寨 helped China to build a great irrigation and drainage system that would prvent the agricultural products to be affected by the weather. Actually even today,  Chinese agricultural products still depend on that system.

As a sample in the country, there might be some political behavior. But that could not veto the great contribution from 大寨.

On the other hand, Chairman Mao learned the bloody experience of 三年自然灾害, so he pushed the whole country to learn from 大寨.