At the foot of Fanjing Mountain in Jiangkou county, Guizhou province, is Zhaisha village, where most of the population belongs to the Dong ethnic group. For local villager Yang Juyuan, the development of tourism in recent years has allowed him to earn in a day what he could have earned in a year just five years ago.
He said that in the past, most local men made their living by working outside the village or by carrying sedan chairs for tourists to the mountain, earning 200 yuan ($30.70) a day during busy seasons - and zero at slack seasons.
Yang's entire family earned less than 4,000 yuan annually until 2012 when he redecorated his residence and started a farmstay. Now his family makes more than 200,000 yuan a year, and several thousand yuan a day in the busy season.
Tourism in the village emerged in 2010. The county government believes the business should be based on Fanjing Mountain, a national nature reserve and one of China's top five Buddhist mountains, as well as local villagers' unique lifestyle and culture.
An industry chain has been established, covering hospitality, sightseeing, performances and souvenirs. The village welcomed more than 800,000 visitors last year.
More than 70 local households have built Dong-style wooden houses, in addition to village gates, drawbridges, stages and bell and drum towers, all in the Dong ethnic style.
There are also museums introducing the local ethnic culture and farming civilization.
More than 60 families in the village have started farmstays, which employ nearly 300 people - about 90 percent of the village's population. The per-capita annual net income is 12,460 yuan.
Only three households are still below the poverty line.
In September 2013, the county's first tourism industry association was established in Zhaisha and trained villagers and updated road signs.
In March 2014, the Jiangkou Culture and Tourism Development Co was founded. One of its first projects was the improvement of the natural environment and infrastructure in Zhaisha village.
"In the past, you got covered in dust on a sunny day, and in mud on a rainy day," Yang said. "Now you enjoy the view of stilt-houses everywhere. The farmhouses attract tourists with our warm welcome."
The national financial poverty relief department has invested 59 million yuan to support tourism in the village, focusing on local ecology and traditional architecture protection. The government also organized training programs on cooking, etiquette and marketing, which have attracted nearly 80 local households.
New roads have been built, linking neighboring villages and towns, and the old houses have been rebuilt in an orderly fashion and unified style.
There are regular art performances on the weekends. The company has invited professionals from provincial theaters to train the performers.
(China Daily 05/20/2016 page24)
