From mountain hamlet to prosperous homestay cluster

Boyun Ridge, the highest peak in Tantou town, Luanchuan county, Luoyang, Henan province, is encircled by the Yihe River. Not long ago, there was no bridge over the river and no road up the mountain. The village was swallowed by mist, sharing its days with nothing but drifting clouds and a hundred scattered households.

Today, a broad two-lane highway snakes upward, and former farmhouses have been reborn as distinctive farm-to-table restaurants like "Ridge-Top Families" and "Boyun Mother's Hand-Pulled Noodles". Terraced plots lie in neat rows, cottages are set at pleasing intervals, and along the ridge closest to the sky, the "Slow Thirteenth Month", "Cloud Corridor" and other upscale lodges form a boutique homestay cluster, complete with pick-your-own produce and a petting zoo.

Yang Laifa, now in his sixties, recalled the village of thirty years ago and said: "We relied on a single crop for our income. The transformation has been staggering — from grain to walnuts, then to oil-peonies, and now to tourism. Each time we changed course, it would not have been possible without improvements in electrical supply."

State Grid Luoyang Power Supply Company upgraded the village's power line to 10 kilovolts and installed two 400 kilovolt-ampere transformers at the summit, replacing the former 50 kVA unit. Year-round patrols eliminate defects and ensure visitors and residents alike enjoy worry-free power.

Today, Boyun Ridge offers both authentic countryside homes and high-end lodges. The newly built Yunling Homestay alone is expected to add more than 600,000 yuan ($84,498) a year to collective income and raise per-capita earnings by over 20,000 yuan.