A villager shows tea dried and fried by She ethnic minority peoples in a rural homestay in Xidong village, Juxi town, Cangnan county. [Photo/66wz.com]
The rolling mountains in Cangnan, Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, which were once posed as obstacles to the county's economic development, are now generating impressive tourism revenue due to the concerted efforts of local residents in recent years, Wenzhou Daily reported.
Xidong village in Juxi town, Cangnan, home to She ethnic minority people, was a typical case in integrating the local ethnic culture with tourism resources.
Relying on its proximity to the east entrance of Juxi Gorge, Xidong village attracted financing of 6.17 million yuan ($894,650) and transformed 14 idle houses of local villagers into niche rural homestays.
Lan Ailian was the owner of one such idle house. In addition to receiving an annual rent of 1,000 yuan for her house, Lan also earned an income working at a homestay.
"My total income has increased by about 10,000 per year," Lan beamed.
According to Lei Kaijun, Party secretary of Xidong, the village saw total income increase of 180,000 yuan in 2021, with the income of each of the 100 low-income households in Juxi town increasing by more than 1,100 yuan.
In addition to developing the tourism industry, characteristic industries are also key to the integrated economic growth of ethnic minorities in Cangnan.
For example, Heshan village in Fengyang township boasts large acres of plum plantations, Fuyuan village in Dailing township is suitable for growing early-maturing mandarin oranges, Liuqi'ao village in Chixi town cultivates laver, and Dongyang village in Lingxi town is home to tea plantations.
"Only through concerted efforts can we lead our villagers down the path toward common prosperity," Lei said.
