Village takes plunge on tourism

View to profits

The village is set against the picturesque backdrop of the Little Jishishan Mountains.

Ma Xueyi, the secretary of the Liuji Town Party Committee, said: "The forests in the mountains present beautiful scenery in He'ai, along with great air quality. Every spring and summer, many hectares of rapeseed flowers turn the surrounding area into a yellow sea. The beautiful landscapes of nature make it an excellent tourist destination."

Fan Shunfu is now convinced about the village's tourism potential. The spacious courtyard of his modernized farmhouse features two rows of large tiled rooms, along with dozens of dining tables and chairs. The yard is filled with decorations including red lanterns that lend a strong folk atmosphere to the venue.

Inside the rooms, there are distinctive kang, heated brick beds, and the walls are adorned with photos of leaders since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The venue also has a play area for children as well as areas for tea-drinking and performances.

The farmhouse, which includes the village restaurant, has brought Fan more than 100,000 yuan ($14,000) in income so far this year.

Ideal location

Tourists from Gansu and Qinghai travel to the village for outings and camping. The area also has wide ethnic diversity, with the Han and nearly 10 other ethnic groups residing there.

Jishishan county's full name is Jishishan Bonan, Dongxiang and Salar ethnic groups autonomous county — the longest county name in the country. "Every May, Han people from surrounding villages organize an activity to worship the 'dragon king' on the mountain, praying for a smooth year. This adds cultural color to spring tourism," Ma said.

The village collective made a decision last year to develop tourism, and the county government also provided strong support.

Ma said that at the time, if villagers were willing to operate homestays or farm guesthouses, the government would provide subsidies ranging from 100,000 to 200,000 yuan, which did not need to be repaid and could be used directly for construction and renovation. Ma and other members of the town's Party committee spoke with the villagers individually and explained the advantages and prospects of establishing a tourist village, and provided one-on-one guidance for the establishment of three homestays and 10 farm guesthouses.

"When tourists come here, there is a restaurant to eat and a place to sleep. If we construct more facilities for them to enjoy, they will stay. When we retain visitors, we can create more wealth for the villagers," Ma said. He said there are no similar tourist villages within a 100-kilometer radius of He'ai village. This spring, the number of visitors was considerable, he added.

Future vision

He'ai successfully lifted itself out of poverty in 2020. It was selected as a demonstration village in Gansu last year due to the development of tourism and traditional Chinese medicine.

Every year, the township government provides training in skills such as operating homestays, cooking, welding, planting and animal husbandry for the residents of He'ai and other villages. Over 700 people have been trained so far.

In He'ai, there are eight trained guesthouse or homestay operators, four private chefs, five private artisans and other skilled workers.

"In order to vitalize rural areas, we have cultivated a group of new professional farmers who love agriculture, understand technology, are good at business, and can manage well. Their success and improved lives have played a leading role (in vitalization), and they have brought more hope for the future development of He'ai village," Ma said.

He pointed to the mountains behind him, envisioning that in the future, ski resorts, amusement parks, and other new projects could be developed, bringing new vitality to this northwestern area.