Tourism, e-commerce transform villages

By Ge Lijun
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Beijing Review, November 18, 2021
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Mountainous terrain, sparsely populated areas, remote settlements … None of these have stopped the dispersed villages in Hunan Province's Rucheng County from devising innovative ways to enhance their residents' living standards. Rural leaders are trying to identify and enhance existing resources under the plans for targeted poverty reduction and rural revitalization.

Shazhou Village succeeded in getting rid of poverty in 2018 by relying on its "red" (referring to the history of revolution) and "green" (referring to agriculture) resources, and is now focusing on solidifying the outcomes. And it is not alone; other villages have their own stories to share as well.

'Red' tourism

Shazhou has a population of 542 people, with 340 of them belonging to the Yao ethnic group. It is a somewhat remote, mountainous village. It has gained great popularity in recent years due to its association with the Red Army's Long March and has become an important destination for "red" tourism.

The Red Army made a stop at Shazhou in November 1934. To avoid disturbing the residents, the soldiers set up camps in front of the houses. Xu Jiexiu, a rural resident, was concerned about three female soldiers camping outside her house one evening and welcomed them in. The sole bed in the house had no cover, so the three ladies pulled out their own and snuggled with Xu and her one-year-old kid. For a few days, they shared one roof, and Xu gradually grasped the Red Army's and the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s mission: to fight for the people. The three soldiers decided to give their blankets to Xu on the day of departure because it was quite chilly. Xu was adamant in her refusal. One of the soldiers chopped the blanket in two with a chisel. Xu was moved, and as she saw them go away, she eventually took the half.

"My great-grandmother constantly waited for them to return, and she did so for almost 50 years, until she died," Zhu Shuhua often sobs as he tells this story to tourists at the Split Blanket Museum in the hamlet. In 2016, at a speech commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, Chinese President Xi Jinping referenced the story.

The town was designated as a "red" tourist destination in 2017 and has already welcomed over 2 million visitors. Local authorities have taken advantage of the chance to expand the tourist sector with the help of social funds and have educated people to manage bed and breakfasts, souvenir shops, and restaurants. Some nomadic merchants have set up shops on the premises.

In 2020, the annual per-capita disposable income of the Shazhou Village has risen to $2,328, up $1,651 from 2014 (when the poverty eradication program began), while the village's collective income has risen from $559 to $86,910. "Achieving development without organized help is tough. A third of the population works in agriculture, and two-thirds are engaged in the tourism industry," Chen Juanjuan, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shazhou Village Committee, told ChinAfrica.

A shade of green development

Shazhou is also noted for its plums and pears. A cooperative has been formed that provides arboriculture training and facilitates sales on fresh produce e-commerce sites such as Hema Fresh and Dingdong. Some young people even utilize livestreaming to reach out to targeted audiences for their products.

"In comparison to 2020, output has tripled this year. Farmers can extend the size of their orchards with good marketing. Also beneficial are the farming practices taught by government-sent specialists," Chen revealed.

Dongshan, another village in Rucheng County, is following the same strategy. The annual per-capita income of the village went up from $372 in 2017 to $1,645 in 2020. This community of 1,457 people, the majority of whom belong to Yao ethnic group, stepped out of poverty in 2018. The fruit and vegetable industry is crucial to their livelihood, especially pear and ginger.

Village officials are also doing their best to find sales outlets for their produce. "We have been to Taizhou in Zhejiang Province and Shenzhen in Guangdong Province to promote our products. And we advertise online, for example in WeChat groups," Xu Shuangquan, Secretary of the CPC Shazhou Village Committee, told ChinAfrica.

This summer, merchants from e-commerce platforms such as JD.com and Taobao.com have come to the village to buy products in large quantities. "In 2017, we could not have imagined any of this because of the small volume of production. Larger-scale production makes it easier to sell in the market," said Xu. The creation of a cooperative to pool land and provide technical agricultural training was a key step to make it happen.

In order to prevent the risks caused by a slowdown in sales, the village came up with the idea of building cold storage facilities with the help of social funding. The villagers dug about 130 cellars. "When the market is not favorable, we store our produce. Ginger can be stored for two years," said Xu.

Gradually, the local population migrated from the mountains to the plains to build two-storey houses. With government support and income from orchards, the number of newly built houses has increased from 40 to 280.

According to Xu, about 300 men still work in cities. It is mainly the elderly and women who look after the orchards in the village. However, the development of the agricultural sector has attracted about 20 men back to the village since last year.

"The lack of information and mechanical equipment used to hurt us. The situation has improved and the results are encouraging," Xu noted. The next step, he said, is to move into organic farming while continuing to improve the infrastructure. "Last year, the collective income of the village was $17,382. The goal now is to reach $77,600 by 2025."

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