The 'high' way to prosperity
"With more routes built to connect the village to the outside, the future of Qinglongxia will be promising," Niu, 45, says.
Previously a reporter at Jinzhong Daily, Niu has seen how tourism helps transform and accelerate rural development.
His own hometown had everything that was needed to develop into a tourist spot, except for one crucial thing: an access route.
Quitting his job in Jinzhong city, Shanxi, in February 2018, Niu returned to his hometown and seven months later, he came up with the idea to build a path to bring visitors to the village.
When discussing the plan with villagers, he was confronted with opinions that the project was mission impossible.
The steep terrain of the Taihang Mountains makes it difficult to bring up large machinery, which meant construction would have to rely on manpower.
