Deep in Nujiang Valley: Homestays promise a good future for villagers

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Chala, a village in Nujiang, southwestern China's Yunnan province, once largely relied on subsistence farming. Now, it is thriving on a rural tourism boom.

China.org.cnUpdated: May 31, 2021

Chala, a village perched on a mountain on the eastern side of the Nujiang Valley in Gongshan county in northern Yunnan province, once largely relied on subsistence farming. Now, it is thriving on a rural tourism boom.

Thanks to its location close to the First Bend of the Nujiang River – a top tourist attraction in the area – as well as its unique Nu culture and customs, the village of more than 300 Nu people has found a new way to prosper.

Wang Guocai, head of Chala village, stands in front of a villager's house on May 20, 2021 . [Photo by Chen Jian/China.org.cn]

Wang Guocai, head of the village, said poverty was what he remembered most about his childhood. In those days, Wang’s parents could afford to buy him just one pair of shoes for a whole year.

When he became a teenager, he spent eight hours walking from the village to his high school in the town of Gongshan county, treading on trails that became muddy every time it rained.

Much has changed since 2017 when the local government helped villagers to rebuild their homes with interest-free loans, and a new highway connecting remote areas in Nujiang was put into use at the end of 2019. For Wang, the one-day journey now takes only a 10-minute drive.

The improved road infrastructure also meant that travelling to the village has become much easier for tourists, and more tourists have led to better income. The annual per capita income for people in the village rose from 2,400 yuan (about US$387) in 2013 to more than 10,000 yuan in 2019.

Taking advantage of the culture and music of the Nu ethnic group, as well as the beautiful scenery, villagers began to increase their income by offering homestays, sightseeing services, and traditional, home-made cuisines.

Chala village is part of a demonstration project launched by the government of Gongshan county and a state-owned company in 2019, aiming to improve tourism facilities and services in the county's five villages. 

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