Rural tourism sheds light on ethnic diversity

"Many people learn about this and more about the Blang ethnic group for the first time when they visit Wengji village," said Yu, adding that improved transport infrastructure over the years has made access to the village from the outside much easier.

As a part of efforts to showcase traditional Blang culture, a typical Blang house in the village has been turned into a small museum and has been popular among visitors.

"It's great to see people taking an interest in Blang culture," Yu said. "It's always a great pleasure for me to answer their questions."

The surge in tourism to the area around Jingmai Mountain has brought with it economic returns and an air of optimism, especially among young people. Many locals like Yu, who's just graduated from Yunnan Agricultural University, are choosing to forgo opportunities in cities to return home because of the blossoming tea industry and growing tourism.

"The boom in tourism has brought people from different ethnic groups much closer. Besides learning to respect diversity, people can often realize that we have so much more in common, such as having the same ambitions and goals in life," said Yu, who studied tea tree management at the university. She is now piloting the new methods that she's learned to manage the family's tea tree farm and using new media to promote the family's tea products.