Shift to tourism brings wealth to remote village
Print Edition
It is getting cold, but residents of the remote Xihecun Village in central China are still busy catering to tourists.
“The old houses have become family inns where homeowners open their doors to short-term lodgers, and villagers have become tour guides,” said Zhang Yimou, a tourism official from the village in Xinxian County, Henan Province.
“Our agricultural products have also become hot commodities.”
In the past three years, 106 of 118 families have been lifted out of poverty, and the rest are expected to join the middle class by the end of this year, according to official figures.
With a history of more than 800 years, Xihecun, named one of the most beautiful villages in Henan, boasts distinctive brick architecture.
A stream meanders through the village, and century-old trees line the village roads.
But the economic development of the village, located deep in the mountains, has been slow. In 2014, 410 of the 1,222 registered residents were living below the national poverty line. Even the buildings had an air of desolation.
“Life was really tough in the past,” said villager Zhang Sizhong. “Back in 2004, my wife and I had to work in Shanghai to repay our debt and support our child’s education.”
At that time the couple had a monthly income of about 800 yuan (US$121), and each member of the family spent just 4 yuan on food each day.
In 2013, the local government decided to boost the village’s economy through tourism.
“Top design experts from the prestigious Tsinghua University and China Academy of Fine Arts were invited to renovate and transform the old buildings, and the overall layout of the village,” said Zhang Yimou.
A rural cooperative was also formed to set aside some of the collective land to farm organic rice paddies and traditional Chinese medicine with the use of modern agricultural techniques. A tea garden was also created for tourists.
More than 360 hectares of land in the village have been dedicated for tourism and farming, according to a Sohu.com report.
Various hotels have also sprung up, including some with transparent glass roofs that allow visitors to view the night sky.
“We also introduce tourists to traditional techniques like oil-making, and spinning and weaving,” said Zhang Yimou.
In 2015, Zhang Sizhong and his wife opened their own inn. Today, the inn’s business is booming.
“On the busiest day, we had about 16 tables of tourists,” he said. “We employ six staff, but on that day we were still short of hands.”
In the past four years, the village drew more than a million visitors and generated revenues exceeding 30 million yuan. About 1,200 local residents work in the tourism industry, and their average yearly per capita income rose about 6,000 yuan.
“I am confident that with proper planning, rural areas can have great futures,” Zhang Yimou said.
Since China began its economic reform and opened up to the world, more than 700 million Chinese have been lifted out of poverty.
The country aims to build a moderately prosperous society and eradicate poverty in rural areas by 2020.
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