Yunnan village makes succulent profit
Area's dry desertified soil put to good use to create cactus industry that's growing residents' incomes
Li Jiawen, a 43-year-old villager, opened a casual eatery serving drinks and snacks, providing tourists visiting the village with a place to relax. It opened in January and can seat up to 70 guests.
"My eatery usually gets busier on weekends, and we're seeing more and more visitors from other provinces," Li said.
It's not just the local villagers who have seized the opportunity to start businesses; outside investors are also attracted to the village's potential and are investing in educational tourism.
In 2024, Gao Bo from Chongqing started investing in educational tourism projects in the village and quickly reaped the benefits. By 2025, Gao's team had attracted nearly 40,000 visitors, generating revenues exceeding 300,000 yuan.
Among the visitors were kindergarten children who engaged in learning about cacti, pine trees and insects while getting physical exercise on specially designed hiking trails. Elementary school students have also visited the village, mainly for spring and autumn outings, as well as hands-on experiences like farming activities.
"I am optimistic about the village's growth prospects and view it as a compelling investment opportunity," Gao said.
The development of the cactus industry in Zhuangzitian has not only been an advancement in agriculture but has also been a comprehensive development of ecological management, rural vitalization, cultural-tourism integration and cross-border cooperation, according to Hoang from the Vietnamese entrepreneurs association.
