Agritourism generates prosperous income for rural woman

The idea of agritourism was first brought to the village by a former official surnamed Zhang, who the villagers called "Lao Zhang". Zhang had traveled to other counties and learned from their experience. As early as 2008, he saw an increasing demand for agritourism and a possible future for the village.

Zhang Xiuyun was one of the first three villagers who showed interest in this "bold" idea. Zhang had spent most of her life working in the field, and had tried to find temporary jobs in the city.

"Farm work is very laborious and barely profitable. You only earn an annual income of 10,000 to 20,000 yuan," Zhang said. "Leaving the hometown is not a good choice either." 

Zhang was enthusiastic about the idea of earning a better income from agritourism and was willing to go all out. Her husband, who always pursued a stable life, was not supportive and she had to take all the work and risks on her own. "I was in my 40s, young and energetic, and I wanted to try something new to change my life, to make money," she said.

Starting off wasn't easy. Only a few visitors came. It was Zhang alone who took care of everything, from furnishing the house to food and accommodation for guests.