Journeys toward prosperity

The precipitous terrain that was once the biggest obstacle to Guizhou's development is generating opportunities to overcome poverty as it lures visitors, Yang Fan and Yan Weijue report, on China's National Day of Poverty Alleviation, which falls today.

Guizhou province's undulating topography has long sculpted its fight against poverty into an uphill battle in every sense - but the very mountains that had blocked prosperity are today generating it through tourism.

Indeed, the sheer karst peaks, sweeping gorges and gushing waterfalls that shape this swath of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in Southwest China have made transportation construction difficult. But their magnificent beauty compels a growing number of visitors.