A village in Jiangxi Province, east China, has leveraged its tourism resources to revitalize its economy, significantly boosting the incomes of local residents.
Wangxian Village, located in Shangrao City, was once a poor village with an annual per capita income of less than 4,000 yuan (about 551 U.S. dollars).
The village's ecosystem had deteriorated due to over-mining in the past.
However, through ecological restoration and cultural tourism, the village has become a well-known scenic spot.
It officially shook off poverty in 2018.
Over the recent years, Leveraging the tourism resources in the village has spurred the development of supporting industries such as homestays and agritainment, creating jobs for locals and transforming its once-degraded environment into a thriving economic asset.
The Wangxian Valley scenic spot is located at a high altitude in a remote region with more mountains than farmland.
Once, the area's granite was mined without regulation, leading to severe environmental degradation.
To revitalize the region, the local government shut down more than 130 quarries and halted over 200 stone processing lines in the village.
The region has since been rebuilt with a focus on green development.
New attractions such as canyon rafting and rock-paved homestays were developed, making Wangxian Valley a renowned tourist spot nationwide.
Currently, the village is expanding its tourism infrastructure with new projects like additional homestays and a folk museum.
The improvements have brought villagers back home, allowing them to benefit from the tourism boom. Last year, the average household income in Wangxian Village increased to 50,000 yuan (more than 6,890 U.S. dollars).
"The beautiful environment and booming market drew me back to start two restaurants. The business is very good and I'm planning to open a third one," said Wu Qifu, a villager.
Zhangjian Village, located downstream from Wangxian Valley, is another beneficiary of the tourism boom.
Positioned along the main route for tourists returning from the scenic area, the village began developing its own homestay industry in 2021. The local government provided significant support for these efforts, including interest-free loans.
"We live close to Wangxian Valley and the government has provided significant support for our homestays, including interest-free loans. Now, my annual income from the homestay is about 200,000 yuan (about 27,565 U.S. dollars)," said Zhou Ganhua, a resident of Zhangjian Village.
In addition to homestays and restaurants, Zhoucun Village, located eight kilometers from Wangxian Village, has seen a rise in related industries.
During peak tourist seasons, the village's laundry center processes 100 sets of guest room beddings every hour, supporting the booming homestay business.
Last year, Wangxian Valley welcomed 3.1 million visitors and garnered a total tourism income of 528 million yuan (more than 72 million U.S. dollars).
The regions nearby also benefited greatly, with an estimated 300 million yuan (more than 41 million U.S. dollars) of economic output. More than 100,000 local residents have directly benefited from the tourism industry.
Thanks to the spillover effect of the scenic area, over 1,100 homestays and 386 agritainment establishments have sprung up in the surrounding villages. These businesses have brought in average annual incomes of over 250,000 yuan (about 34,457 U.S. dollars) per household and created more than 3,800 job opportunities.
Tourism boosts rural revitalization in east China
