Former Party secretary helps turn dusty village into tourist destination

By the time Bai succeeded Yan in 2018, the ecological foundation had already been laid. The challenge was how to turn it into sustainable prosperity.

That year, village authorities raised more than 12 million yuan to establish a tourism company, including 2.12 million yuan invested by 167 households, together with funding from various State-supported rural development programs. Some households also contributed land and labor as equity through a mountain apple cooperative.

The tourism venture has since generated more than 1 million yuan in revenue for the village collective.

Of that amount, 30 percent is distributed to shareholders as dividends, while another 30 percent is allocated to public welfare projects.

One initiative provides a 500-yuan annual award to local students admitted to college. Although the amount is modest, Bai said it sends a meaningful message that the village values its younger generation.

With the tourism revenue, the village built a suspension bridge across the reservoir, added speedboats and a water park, and transformed orchards, beehives and free-range chicken farms into fruit-picking attractions and farm-to-table dining experiences.

The transformation has not been without challenges. The local climate limits the tourism season to May through October. Once the leaves fall, visitors disappear.

"Unlike tourist destinations in the south, we have to deal with harsh winters," Bai said.

To keep the business operating during the off-season, villagers eventually came up with the idea of turning the reservoir into a skating rink when it freezes sufficiently.

Most employees were local residents with no previous experience in tourism, so Bai invited outside trainers to provide instruction in safety procedures and customer service.

Beyond higher incomes, the tourism company has created local jobs, including opportunities in the catering sector, allowing many villagers to stay close to home instead of seeking work in cities. Others have opened small businesses selling local snacks near the attractions, although they are not employed by the company.

Living standards have also improved.

"Before 1996, the entire village lived in earthen cave dwellings, but they were prone to collapsing during summer downpours," Bai said, referring to a traditional form of housing in northern Shaanxi. "As families got richer, they upgraded to stone cave dwellings."

He said villagers became increasingly supportive of ecological policies once they saw how environmental restoration had improved their own lives.

Lei Zhongyue and Yuan Xiaoqian contributed to this story.