The undulating snow capped mountains, the azure sky, and the pure white clouds... A small mountain village under a snow capped mountain comes into view.
Yuhu Village, Baisha Town, Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, is one of the earliest settlements of Naxi ancestors and an ancient village with well preserved traditional architectural styles. The traditional Naxi dwellings are scattered and arranged under the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, with stone walls and blue tiles complementing the surrounding snow capped mountains and streams, forming a beautiful rural landscape.
The tourism industry in Yuhu Village is very rich now, and the supporting facilities are constantly improving, becoming one of the important check-in spots for tourists visiting Lijiang. Du Hanmei, the owner of a cultural and creative experience store called "Dian Yun Handmade" in Yuhu Village, told reporters that Yuhu Village's unique natural conditions not only attract a large number of tourists, but also gain the favor of many tourism practitioners.
Carrying stones from the mountains and picking up wood in the forest, Du Hanmei, who has been in the cultural and tourism industry for many years, and two friends have created this original cultural and creative handmade experience store. Customers can experience making traditional Naxi Dongba paper and Bai tie dye in the courtyard and attic, as well as try making popular lacquer fans and enamel jewelry nowadays.
Du Hanmei is guiding customers from other places to make Dongba paper, including pounding materials, making paper, and drying paper. After drying in the courtyard, customers remove the paper and stamp and imitate the Dongba script on it. Dongba paper is made from the bark of lotus flowers as raw material, using the ancient paper-making process created by the Naxi people. It has the characteristics of waterproofing, resistance to decay, and long-term preservation, and is an important carrier of Dongba culture.
We prefer customers to experience traditional craftsmanship rather than just buying handicrafts, "said Du Hanmei. More and more tourists are willing to learn about Dongba culture, and currently about 10 groups of tourists come to the store every day to experience different cultural and creative projects and feel the charm of" paper longevity for thousands of years ".
The stories of entrepreneurs such as Du Hanmei, who have evolved from traditional artisans to integrated "guardian artists," continue to unfold in Yuhu Village.
Stepping out of Du Hanmei's cultural and creative experience store, strolling along the traditional gravel road in the village, lined with cafes of different styles, rural homestays created by villagers at home, and characteristic restaurants full of ethnic charm. The villagers have inherited the skills left by the Naxi ancestors, perfectly blending modernity and tradition at the foot of this snowy mountain village.
However, the beautiful scenery of rural revitalization in Yuhu Village is not innate. In the past, due to inconvenient transportation and scarce resources, Yuhu Village was once mired in poverty.
By protecting the ecology and developing the cultural and tourism industry, our Yuhu Village has been revitalized, "said the deputy secretary of the Yuhu Village Party Branch and Xinhua. In the past, villagers cut down trees and dug up sand and gravel, damaging the ecological environment, but their lives did not improve much. In recent years, Yuhu Village has seized the opportunity of rural revitalization and development, combined village planning with industrial development, introduced high-quality business models, and adopted an industrial development model of "government support, enterprise assistance, and farmers singing opera", leading villagers on a path of "ecological tourism" to prosperity.
Entering the Naxi Culture Experience Hall in Yuhu Village, He Jielin, 54, is taking tourists to visit their old houses, experience folk activities such as grinding tofu pudding, wearing Naxi clothes, and introduce the Naxi culture contained in the yard.
Four years ago, He Jielin renovated and transformed his traditional Naxi residence into the first Naxi cultural experience center in the village. Tourists can experience "being a Naxi person for a day" at the home of Helin, gain a deeper understanding of Naxi customs and culture, and taste traditional Naxi cuisine.
Life is much better than before, and my wallet is also bulging, "He Jielin happily told reporters. Currently, my family relies on running the Naxi Cultural Experience Hall to earn more than 200000 yuan in income per year.
After Jie Lin's daughter and Yu Yue returned from studying abroad, they saw the earth shattering changes in their hometown and decided to stay and operate the experience center with their father. I hope to spread Naxi culture with my father, "said He Yuyue, who shared her village life through social media and attracted more tourists to come here.
The weather in Lijiang is cool and perfect for summer travel and escape the heat. "Lan Mengting, a girl from Guangxi, took her parents on an ecological and cultural journey in Lijiang, where the natural scenery and ethnic customs left a deep impression on her.
According to statistics, from January to July this year, Yuhu Village received over 350000 domestic and foreign tourists, with tourism revenue exceeding 25 million yuan. With the continuous enrichment of cultural and tourism industries in the village, it is expected that the number of tourists will exceed 800000 throughout the year, and the comprehensive tourism revenue will reach about 50 million yuan.
Yuhu Village aims to become a happy home for the people, "said Xinhua." During its development, Yuhu Village adheres to the guidance of ecological tourism, pays attention to protecting the ecological environment and maintaining the style and characteristics of traditional Naxi dwellings, deeply integrates Naxi culture with the tourism industry, and allows villagers to live and work in peace and contentment amidst green mountains and clear waters.
The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is majestic, and the people in the villages at the foot of the mountain are composing a new hymn to rural revitalization.