Yunnan village makes succulent profit

Industrial diversification

The village has simultaneously diversified into secondary and tertiary industries, establishing an annual Cactus Cultural Tourism Festival since 2022 to drive agritourism.

Local residents have converted the increased foot traffic into direct retail revenue. Zhang Dengyun, a 51-year-old villager, said that during the peak festival period, direct on-site farm sales reached 40,000 yuan in a single day.

"This year, we plan to extend the festival from one day to three days," Lu said.

These festivals have put the village on the map. In 2025, the village attracted 100,000 tourists, providing a significant boost to the local dining scene.

The increased liquidity has altered local farming infrastructure. The Zhang family, whose household income rose from 100,000 yuan in 2022 to over 200,000 yuan in 2025 alongside a 30,000-yuan collective dividend, recently integrated commercial drones into their harvesting operations to bypass difficult mountain terrain.

"Previously, it took half an hour to carry a basket of cactus pads from the field to the transport truck by the roadside," Zhang said. "Now, with the drone, they can move two baskets in just two minutes, greatly enhancing efficiency and reducing physical strain. Nowadays, farming isn't as tough as it used to be."

Other residents have transitioned into the hospitality sector. Wang Yunxi, a 44-year-old villager, has operated a themed cactus restaurant since December 2021, drawing food enthusiasts from Beijing, Shanghai, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Zhejiang province.

"My restaurant is doing great, as many visitors are eager to try our cactus-themed feast. Last year, our revenue surpassed 400,000 yuan," Wang said.

He added that the most popular dish is chicken soup with cactus fruit, and he plans to develop more dishes to cater to the tastes of tourists from different regions.