Lights, camera, poverty reduction: Villagers cash in on work as extras

With the sound of an explosion echoing in the valley and smoke in the air, 59-year-old Miao Yuhai runs across a "battlefield" carrying a radio transmitter on his back.

He is on a production set for a television drama, where he and fellow villagers work as extras.

They have been working as extras for 15 years, changing their lives and bringing fortune to their poverty-stricken village in northwestern China's Gansu province.

"Since 2004, I have been in more than 20 TV dramas or films," said Miao, who lives in Dashuizha village in the town of Xiquan in Jingtai county.

Jingtai is a popular shooting location because of its diverse landscape, which includes rivers, the Gobi Desert, oases and farms. There have been more than 60 films and TV dramas shot in Dashuizha village alone.

"I was even in a movie featuring Jackie Chan," Miao said.

His first acting gig was playing a monk. He received a free meal and a salary of 20 yuan a day - a pretty decent wage for a farming family in 2004.

In the past, villagers had to leave their hometown to work in big cities to support their families. However, more villagers have been earning money by working as extras in recent years.

"It is estimated that production teams recruit more than 1,000 people each year from the village," said Wang Ziji, chairman of the Xiquan people's congress.

Miao now makes around 5,000 yuan ($735) a year working as an extra. He used his earnings to start raising goats in 2015.

Sometimes, production teams want to shoot scenes of Miao herding his goats. Using his livestock for shoots can earn him an extra 100 yuan a day.

Over the years, some production teams have left sets and props in the village, which the local government has turned into tourist attractions.

It spent around 26 million yuan last year, building alleys and street blocks in ancient Chinese styles to further develop local tourism.

With more tourists, the village is expected to be free from poverty this year, Wang said.

Miao said he plans to ask his two sons to return to the village next year to open a farmhouse resort to host tourists.

Xinhua