Life just peachy for villagers of Taolingou

A village that was blackened with coal has transformed itself into a green tourism hot spot.

More than 15,000 people visited Taolingou village during the Children's Day holiday on June 1.

A significant number of them came for a new amusement park that was opening its doors for the first time.

"We sold more than 20,000 yuan ($2,825) worth of tickets that day, which was exciting," says Shi Hengyou, a senior official with the village in Yangquan, northern China's Shanxi province.

The amusement park is part of the village's efforts over several years to draw in visitors and seek development through tourism.

The village was full of peach trees in ancient times, but after going into the coal mining business two decades ago it became barren and dusty.

"Locals mostly lived off the land or relied on the several small coal mines for a living in the past," Shi says.

As time went by, the coal mining and transportation was causing air pollution and land to subside.

In 2010, local coal resources were on the verge of running out and China was tightening coal mining rules. So, the village government began to look for a solution.

At first, local authority started paying attention to environmental issues, such as water and soil loss.

"All the coal mines were shut off, and we covered their original sites with yellow soil and applied fertilizers on it, so crops could grow," Shi says.

The land that had collapsed or cracked due to coal mining was also restored.

Then, the local government decided to shift its focus to tourism to support the village's development.

After soil testing and consultation with farming experts in Shanxi, the village authority settled on peach tree plantations to restore the historical appearance of Taolingou.

To date, more than 66 hectares of peach trees have been planted around the village.

Visitor numbers have been on the rise since the village held its first peach blossom festival in 2004.

The annual event, which usually takes place in late April, has helped put Taolingou on the bucket list of travelers. They come to take photographs of the peach blossoms and get back in touch with nature and enjoy the village's rural charm.

"Many residents in the city will come during weekends, turning Taolingou into a backyard of Yangquan," Shi says, adding that the village is only a 10-minute drive from downtown.

Later on, more than 1,000 varieties of trees－including ginkgo, pine and cypress－were planted, contributing to the 85 percent forestation in Taolingou.

New tourism programs are under way.

"We'll roll out more interactive fun programs in the park for parents and children alike," Shi says.

A new folk culture street featuring local families' rules and history will open by the end of 2020, according to the senior official.

New homestays are also under construction and will open to the public soon.

Improving the environment has kept drawing more tourists, from not just Shanxi but neighboring provinces too, according to the village.

Taolingou received 800,000 traveler visits in 2019, up more than 30 percent compared to 2018.

Shi expects the number to pass 1 million in 2020, since outbound tourism is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This will partly help domestic travel to prevail.

Rising tourism and an improving living environment has brought positive changes to locals' lives.

"We then called upon local residents to offer tourism services, such as homemade cuisines for visitors, which has helped to raise local income," Shi says.

Now, about 100 locals are engaged in tourism services.

Shi Hengsheng had been a coal-mining worker until 2001.

"Everything was manual, from underground to above ground," the 70-year-old says.

"The working conditions were terrible. We had to work amid coal dust, gas and water dripping down overhead."

Despite the hardship of the job, it earned him only 5,000 yuan a year in 2000.

After the local government switched its focus to tourism development in 2001, Shi Hengsheng began to plant peach trees at his farm, where he had grown corn and grains.

"Before peach trees, the crop was only good for feeding my family and brought practically no income," Shi Hengsheng said.

The local government bought peach tree seedlings for Shi Hengsheng and convinced him that they would produce more income. He agreed to try.

The village authority then invited agricultural experts to teach him how to take care of the trees.

Over the years, Shi Hengsheng has grown more than 100 peach trees. They have earned him and his wife more than 8,000 yuan a year in fruit sales alone.

His family can also make extra money when tourists come to pick fruits at his farm.

"Life is much more easier than before and so is the money," Shi Hengsheng says. He added that he and his wife also receive a monthly pension from the village.

Now, he usually only has to fertilize, plow and weed his plantation during the first half of the year and can relax for the second half.

"Now that the surrounding environment is getting better, I can simply enjoy walking and taking a look around whenever I have time," Shi Hengsheng says.