Herbs, hotels and home cooking raise rural residents' incomes

Tourism

Bai Chenghua, a 40-something Xining native, visited Dongzhigou last month with more than 20 relatives and friends after a strong recommendation from a friend.

"I was lured by my friend's description of the area as having a pleasant environment, fresh, high-quality food and hospitable people," she said. "I am excited and happy to be here."

Everyone in the village was taken off the poverty list by the end of 2016, thanks to the development of herb cultivation and tourism.

Dongzhigou is just a microcosm of the business development in Shuobei that has helped many local people lead better lives.

According to the township government, 72 percent of its more than 19,000 population used to live in poverty.

Now, none of the residents is impoverished.

In 2017, the Datong government invested over 140 million yuan to help develop tourism in an area covering 10 of Shuobei's 19 villages.

After the local infrastructure improved thanks to the investment, 70 households started restaurants and another 15 opened hotels, it said.

Tourism has helped 765 people take themselves off the poverty list as their incomes keep rising.

Last year, tourism helped the 10 villages earn combined income of almost 1.1 million yuan, the government said.

Zhao said he had looked forward to seeing his sons grow up so they could go outside and make money with him as migrant workers.

Now, he hopes they will enjoy a good education and he never worries about what they will do in the future.

"I make more money in one day than I made in one month as a migrant worker," he said.

"I am satisfied with my life. Before, I never dared imagine I could ever lead such a good life."