A Date with China: "Homestay plus" boosts income in Yuming, Xinjiang

Photo taken on July 28, 2022 shows the "A Date with China" 2022 international media tour group visiting the Qianjin Village in Tacheng Prefecture, NW China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo provided by A Date with China)

Located in Tacheng Prefecture, NW China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Qianjin Village showcases picturesque scenery, in which rows of Hui-style dwelling houses with white walls and black tiles are neatly arranged, and creative Chinese fad wall paintings and exploration zones with various popular elements are seen along the street. Inside the courtyard, a typical water town setting of bridges over flowing streams makes tourists linger.

As the Xinjiang Tacheng Yumin Mountain Flower Festival has been consecutively held to the 16th session, burgeoning local eco-tourism attracts tourists from all over the country in May and June every year. In recent years, Qianjin Village in Yumin County has given full play to its superior geographical location and vigorously boosted the homestay economy, and formed a "homestay plus" development model integrating festivals, scenic spots, and characteristic agritainment. The new mode has enriched the business format of rural tourism and driven the economic development of the whole village.

Since July 2019, Qianjin Village has invested the collective funds and leveraged the funds of all parties to transform 33 residential houses along the main road into Hui-style architectures and draw wall paintings of more than 5000 square meters. Meanwhile, it has improved roads, green belts, canals, street lamps, and other facilities to complete the supporting infrastructure for tourism. Until now, the village has seen six homestay facilities and 3 farmhouse resorts in business, which helps broaden revenue streams and raise villagers’ incomes.

Photo taken on July 28, 2022 shows the “Yinjihuajian” homestay in Qianjin Village in Tacheng Prefecture, NW China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo provided by A Date with China)

Wu Ming, owner of the homestay “Yinjihuajian (literally a seclusion among flowers)”, used to make a living from farming. With the subsidies of the township Party Committee and the government and the village Party branch and the village committee, he transformed an idled house into a homestay last year, and provided tourists with agritainment experiences such as fruit and vegetable picking. Wu told reporters that since its opening on May Day this year, the revenue of the homestay has been considerable. "Now the quality of life has been improved. After the peak season this year, we plan to transform another set of idled houses to expand the scale of homestay, and provide more tourism experience projects," he said.

Qianjin Village has received around 25,000 tourists, generated more than 500,000 yuan through tourism, and increased the average household income by more than 6,000 yuan since May. While promoting economic development and injecting new energy into rural revitalization, the homestay business in Qianjin Village continues to improve residents’ life satisfaction, happiness and sense of gain.

Photo taken on July 28, 2022 shows wall paintings in Qianjin Village in Tacheng Prefecture, NW China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo provided by A Date with China)

Photo taken on July 28, 2022 shows international media personnel visiting Qianjin Village in Tacheng Prefecture, NW China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo provided by A Date with China)

Photo taken on July 28, 2022 shows wall paintings in Qianjin Village in Tacheng Prefecture, NW China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo provided by A Date with China)

Photo taken on July 28, 2022 shows wall painting in Qianjin Village in Tacheng Prefecture, NW China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo provided by A Date with China)