Yan Wenjiao's murals ignite a tourism boom in Yunnan's Manle village

Like Ma Liang with the Magic Brush, Yan Wenjiao, a college graduate living in Manle village, Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, transformed his hometown into an Instagrammable site and attracted millions of visitors with 5,000 square meters of murals.

His story began in July 2015. When Yan returned to his hometown for summer vacation, he casually drew the characters for "Manle" on the weathered walls of his house. Passing villagers began to take notice.

Seeing the positive response, Yan painted a Dai auspicious animal on another wall of his house. This time, more villagers came to take a look. Some people found Yan's murals beautiful and asked him to paint for them. Yan gladly agreed without asking for compensation, only accepting material costs.

Meanwhile, he discovered that there were many old walls in Manle. Some were covered in moss, others with cracks. He realized that they could become excellent canvases with a bit of cleaning.

While painting, the villagers often stopped and watched; some even helped Yan apply colors.

In June 2018, Yan decided to return home after graduating from the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts despite having numerous opportunities to stay in the city.

"Going to college was not to leave my rural home but to come back better prepared," Yan added.

Yan created a series of murals and ground paintings in every corner of the 80 mu (5.3 hectares) village, covering 5,000 square meters.

"The dirt and mess are gone, and every day feels like living in a painting," said Yan Yan, a resident of Manle.

In 2022, Manle was recognized as a "provincial beautiful village" and a "city-level tourism demonstration village" in Yunnan. Tourists flocked to the village, making it into a popular destination with millions of visitors. The village achieved an average annual income exceeding 18,600 yuan ($2,621) for its 613 residents in 125 households.

In 2020, Yan established a team with other like-minded entrepreneurs. It comprised eight individuals from the Dai, Hani, and Han ethnic groups. Starting from their villages, they painted murals across Yunnan and even traveled to Beijing, Chongqing, Guangdong, and Sichuan, painting in more than 300 villages.

"We charge 200 yuan per square meter, but the material cost is only a few dozen yuan, so the profit is quite good," said Yan.

Yan's career has been successful, and the village plans to develop its tourism industry. The villagers assist Yan in cleaning, applying color, and promoting their home of Manle with pride.