A remote village in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region has turned its breathtaking surroundings into economic opportunity, drawing in flocks of tourists and boosting incomes through a variety of outdoor adventures.
Jieba Village, meaning "forgotten" in Tibetan, is nestled beside the stunning Basum Tso, a high-altitude lake at 3,700 meters in Gongbujiangda County, Nyingchi City.
Once home to just a handful of family-run guesthouses, it's now a sought-after destination with over 50 boutique homestays to cater to a growing number of tourists.
The upgrading of local businesses has brought tangible benefits for villagers.
"Tourists coming to Jieba Village now have many options. Before the development of tourism, our villagers relied on a mix of farming and herding, with annual income averaging around 1,000 yuan [in 1993]. Now, thanks to tourism, our per capita income is around 29,000 yuan per year. The annual income of our village has exceeded one million yuan," said Luoyang, head of the village.
This transformation began over two decades ago when the local government initiated tourism development. In 2017, Basum Tso was recognized as national 5A-rated natural scenic area, the first in Xizang.
This year, it has embarked on a plan to transform itself into a multifaceted resort destination.
While enjoying view of ancient villages, primeval forests, lush meadows, wetlands, and lakes, visitors can partake in activities like Thangka painting, traditional incense making, and a variety of outdoor adventures.
"We are planning a range of activities according to the needs of holidaymakers, including hiking, camping, rafting, horseback riding, and beach scooters," said Badan Caiwang, director of Gongbujiangda County's culture and tourism department.
Remote village in Xizang taps into lake resources to boost tourism, local incomes
China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao outlined the key priorities of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, which opened on Friday in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province.
In an interview with CGTN ahead of the two-day meeting, Wang said free trade, digital cooperation and green economy are high on the agenda of the meeting.
"The key areas include advancing regional economic integration and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO) in strengthening digital cooperation and developing green economy. At present, the international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and chaos, with intensified geopolitical instability. The rise of unilateralism and protectionism poses serious challenges to the international economic and trade order, disrupting global and Asia-Pacific development. Against this backdrop, all parties have higher expectations for this trade ministers' meeting, hoping that it can build consensus and deliver outcomes," Wang said.
This year marks China's third time hosting the APEC meetings and the 35th anniversary of its membership.
By 2025, China had become the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. Trade between China and APEC economies reached 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 57.8 percent of China's total foreign trade.
China has signed 24 free trade agreements or economic and trade arrangements with 31 countries and regions, including 15 APEC economies. In recent years, China has also completed upgrades of free trade agreements with APEC economies such as Singapore and Peru.
The minister said that China has always been a firm supporter and an important contributor to APEC.
"We have actively shared our vast market and development opportunities with all parties. China's door to the world will only open wider and wider. Facing the common challenges, China will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, further deepen reform, expand high-standard opening-up, and continue to provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world with its new achievements in Chinese modernization," the minister said.
China's Commerce Minister outlines priorities for 32nd APEC trade ministers' meeting
