Xinhua Headlines: Snowscapes, vineyards, and beyond: the rural revitalization in China's villages

*China's rural revitalization strategy, launched at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2017, aims to achieve basic modernization of agriculture and rural areas by 2035.

*Since the launch of its reform and opening-up policy over 40 years ago, China has lifted 770 million rural residents out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global total based on the World Bank's international poverty line.

*While poverty alleviation has enabled farmers to "stand on their own feet," rural revitalization helps them thrive.

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A village in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province was blanketed in thick winter snow. Despite freezing temperatures that can plummet to minus 20 degrees Celsius or even lower, this once sleepy settlement now draws large numbers of winter tourists from across the country. 

This village, popularly known as "Snow Village," has been transformed from a commercial forest settlement into a vibrant tourism destination via China's rural revitalization drive.

"Thanks to the rural revitalization strategy, our village has become a popular tourism destination, attracting visitors all year round," said Wang Xindan, the village's publicity official. In recent years, the village has also won several honors, including being named one of "China's top 10 most beautiful villages."

China's rural revitalization strategy, launched at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2017, aims to achieve basic modernization of agriculture and rural areas by 2035.

To improve accessibility and boost tourism, local authorities upgraded the 95km road that connects this village to the Yabuli ski resort in 2024. This road is the only access route to the village.

Fan Zhaoyi, a former lumberjack, established a three-bedroom homestay with his wife in the village in 2000. Today, the business has grown to more than 30 rooms, thanks to the rising number of tourists.

"This year has been incredibly busy for us," Fan said. "Compared to previous years, we have seen a sharp increase in customers and a significant rise in business volume."

This tourism village is just one example of the broad and positive changes taking place across rural China.

China is home to about 489,000 administrative villages, along with millions of natural villages and settlements. In February 2021, China announced a "complete victory" in its fight against poverty.

Since the launch of its reform and opening-up policy over 40 years ago, China has lifted 770 million rural residents out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global total based on the World Bank's international poverty line.

Building on these achievements, rural revitalization now focuses on developing industries, attracting professional talents, promoting culture, improving ecological health and strengthening local organizations.

"Continuously consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation, while firmly preventing large-scale relapse into poverty, is the fundamental task of rural revitalization," said Zhang Qi, head of the China Institute for Poverty Reduction at Beijing Normal University.

Zhang added that rural revitalization is essential to addressing unbalanced development and promoting common prosperity, while accelerating the building of a strong agricultural country and serving as a measure helpful in achieving rural modernization.

The "Snow Village" clearly shows how ecological resources can be used to deliver economic benefits, and similar efforts are being made elsewhere in China.

Approximately 2,000 km away in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China, the wine industry has become a powerful driver of economic growth in the region's desert villages.

In recent decades, Ningxia has earned the title of China's Wine Capital. By the end of 2024, Ningxia had more than 600,000 mu (about 40,000 hectares) of wine grape plantations and an annual wine output of 140 million bottles. Its wines are exported to over 40 countries and regions.

In Haoyuan Village, one of the beneficiaries of the wine industry, per capita disposable income tripled to 24,000 yuan (roughly 3,477.3 U.S. dollars) in 2024, up from 8,000 in 2012.

Notably, this growing industry has also attracted young professionals back to rural areas.

Yuan Yuan, who graduated from the School of Tourism Management at Sun Yat-sen University in 2015, returned to her hometown in Ningxia to use her skills in the family winery.

In 2016, Yuan introduced the "wine + tourism" model, opening up the winery to allow visitors to experience the wine-making process, from grape cultivation to brewing and wine tasting. This model has created multiple income streams for the winery, while also benefiting many local residents.

"They primarily find employment in planting activities or as tour guides," Yuan said. "After training, they become proficient in their roles and grow more confident. Some even obtained sommelier certificates." Villagers employed in the tourism service department at the winery earn an annual income of 80,000 yuan.

Official data last year showed that more than 12 million people have returned to rural areas to start businesses, creating new industries and innovative business models.

Distinctive village industries across China, such as peony cultivation in east China's Shandong Province, strawberry farming in Jiangsu Province, also in east China, and apple orchards in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, are boosting rural incomes and diversifying local economies.

Last October, the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee reviewed and adopted the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the CPC for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development.

The document emphasized the need to accelerate agricultural and rural modernization, while taking concrete steps to advance all-around rural revitalization.

"While poverty alleviation has enabled farmers to 'stand on their own feet,' rural revitalization helps them thrive," said Zhang Wanjing, a researcher with the Ningxia Academy of Social Sciences, who previously spent two years serving as a village Party chief.

"The rural revitalization strategy is a fundamental plan that not only benefits hundreds of millions of farmers, but also contributes to the country's long-term development," Zhang noted. 

(Video reporters: He Shan, Xie Jianwen, Lyu Ze and Dai Bin; video editors: Zhang Yueyuan, Roger Lott, Zhao Xiaoqing and Zhang Yuhong)  ■