Arxan's tourism prospects for poverty alleviation

Li Shuying, a birch bark craftswoman in Arxan, north China's Inner Mongolia. [Photo by Guan Weiwei/China.org.cn]

"Tourism Plus"

Tourism is a major way to alleviate poverty and make innovations.

In 2016, tourism contributed to a major part of the Arxan economy, with total revenue of over 3.8 billion yuan, a 16.7 percent increase from that of last year.

Zheng Xiaolin plays a leading role in the pursuit of wealth in his village in Arxan. He breeds deer for animal-watching tours and sell products associated with Chinese medicine made from secret recipes. He leads his villagers in learning how to breed the animals and insists that knowledge is of great importance to gain wealth. "To become rich, you have to become skilled and educated." Zheng said.

Li Shuying, a birch bark craftswoman, now has an annual income of about 30,000 RMB. That's far more than she made before tourism came to Arxan. She learned the crafts from her mother and is now teaching her skills to over 30 students.

Her works are so authentic and environmental friendly that some visitors even make repeat souvenir purchases from her Taobao store. "I hope that we can make more profit from our tourism development and also promote our unique cultural heritages." Li said.

Missions ahead

To increase the growth of the tourism industry, Arxan needs to improve its basic infrastructure. Transportation continues to be a major priority.

"I love the hot springs here. It's different from other hot springs in China. Last time I came here was in autumn. It was fantastic. I will soon visit the area again for a third time", said a visitor from Shanghai. However, he said, "When I arrived at the airport, there were only five taxis available."

According to Bai Feng, director of the Arxan Tourism Administration, a total of 200 million yuan will be allocated to develop local public transportation.