Simora Wa Village has changed again——
Tourists continue to come in droves, villagers are full of enthusiasm, industries are vibrant, and the aroma of coffee and books, accompanied by a strong local atmosphere, permeates the entire village.
"Dong... Dong... Dong... Dong..." As I entered the village along the road paved with volcanic rocks, three powerful wooden drum sounds came from the square.
On the square, the villagers danced happily with the Wa ethnic group.
Photo by Ju Peng, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
Nowadays, Smola has transformed from a poverty-stricken village to a national AAAA level scenic spot. In the past, no one paid attention here, but now there are plenty of tourists; In the past, young people used to think of ways to run outside, but now they have all picked up "tourism bowls" and eaten "tourism meals" at home
Zhao Jiaqing, the representative of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the deputy mayor of Qingshui Town, the secretary of the Sanjia Village Party Branch, and the director of the village committee, stated that on the road of common prosperity, Simora's path of happiness is becoming wider and wider, and the villagers are enjoying a better life.
Wa Ethnic Ancient Village with a New Look
Simora, in Wa language, means "a place of happiness", which makes people yearn for it.
The golden morning light shone through the thin clouds and mist, and the lush branches and leaves of the towering ancient banyan trees were extremely green, emitting a rustic vitality; The clear Qizi Spring is scattered like stars, and the air is extremely sweet with every breath and breath; The elderly have their support and the young have their education, and every household is extremely happy and warm.
In his early years, Simora could not be considered happy. "Watching a village is not like a fortress, with piles of thatched grass piled up; afraid of houses leaking in the summer, afraid of cold winds blowing in the winter" is the true scene of this ancient village with a history of more than 500 years.
At the end of 2014, the poverty incidence rate here was as high as 23.4%, and the annual income of villagers was only over 4600 yuan, making it the poorest natural village in Sanjia Village.
How to make a "happy place" truly live up to its name? In the stage of poverty alleviation, the local focus is on "two no worries and three guarantees", focusing on improving infrastructure and improving public services. Zhao Jiaqing said that in 2016, Smola began to explore the development of rural tourism with ethnic characteristics. In early 2019, results were achieved, with per capita income exceeding 10000 yuan for the first time. The village has also become a national 3A level scenic spot, and the villagers are heading towards happiness.
In Simora Wa Village, the General Secretary said with deep affection that poverty alleviation among villagers is only the first step towards a happy life, and it is the starting point for a new life and a new struggle. On the basis of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, we should vigorously promote rural revitalization and make the happy Wa ethnic village even happier.
"From then on, the enthusiasm of cadres and the masses to work and start businesses has become even stronger!" Zhao Jiaqing said, everyone's thoughts and efforts are focused on making the happy Wa village even happier.
Tourists are visiting the Smola Wa Folk Culture Exhibition Hall. Photo by Li Faxing, a journalist from People's Daily Online
With the continuous improvement of Simora's hardware and software, a series of honorary titles such as national 4A level tourist attractions, China's beautiful leisure villages, China's traditional villages, and the second batch of national rural governance demonstration villages have been successively awarded here, including the implementation of green and beautiful lighting projects, installation of intelligent fire protection systems, evaluation of the "most beautiful courtyards", promotion of the "beauty convention" system, and establishment of the Wa ethnic group Qingxi transmission and learning hall to inherit excellent traditional culture.
"The biggest change for Smola is the transformation of people's thinking and concepts," said Zhao Jiaqing, standing in front of the Happy Cafe near the village square.
In the coffee shop, Luo Aiyan, a villager, was proficient in spreading powder, extracting, and brewing milk. However, seven months ago, she was still a "little white" who had never even tasted coffee. "I used to work in the county town, and my income could only support my family." After returning home, Luo Aiyan bravely tried and applied for a position as a barista at a coffee shop. Not only did she find employment at her doorstep, but she also became the first villager in the village to understand coffee.
Luo Aiyan is making a rose latte. Photo by Li Faxing, a journalist from People's Daily Online
"Try it, rouge fruit paste, beef jerky, wild mushrooms... these are all handmade by us." The tourist held coffee and walked to the street of agricultural products in the village. The vendors spoke Mandarin with a Tengchong accent, warmly attracting customers from all over the country.
Zhao Jiaqing said that in the past, villagers could not speak Mandarin at all, let alone have the idea of doing business. Now, they are willing to try new things, and the small business at their doorstep is thriving.
Industrial development meets new opportunities
At around 8 o'clock in the morning, bustling tourists began to squeeze into the home of villager Li Fashun to taste the traditional Wa ethnic snack rice cake.
"Tourists love to check in on our rice cakes, which can sell nearly 200 in a day." Li Fashun's wife Yang Caiqin was busy in the kitchen, preparing lunch for the tourists.
Tourists are waiting for meals at Li Fashun's house. Photo by Li Faxing, a journalist from People's Daily Online
Standing in the courtyard, Zhao Jiaqing loudly introduced to the team that came to inspect, "General Secretary is here telling us to 'develop rural industries, revitalize rural economy, enable more villagers to work locally and nearby, continuously increase income, and improve people's livelihoods'."
"Before the development of tourism in 2019, Simora did not have a pillar industry, and over 70% of the villagers' income mainly relied on work, engineering, and agriculture." Zhao Jiaqing introduced that in June 2020, under the leadership of the party branch, Simora Xingfu Wa Township Tourism Professional Cooperative was established, and Tengchong Municipal Tourism Investment Company was introduced. The model adopted "party branch+company+cooperative+farmers", focusing on "agricultural tourism marriage and integration of the three industries", to effectively promote poverty alleviation and rural revitalization through industry.
Over the past three years, the cooperative has successively promoted the construction of agricultural tourism integration demonstration zones, high-quality tea industry improvement zones, and terraced rice flower high-quality zones. Driven by the cooperative, the villagers' wallets quickly bulged with their diligent hands. In 2022, the per capita income of Smola villagers reached 19259 yuan, an increase of 65% compared to 2019. Looking at the development momentum this year, Zhao Jiaqing estimates that operating income can account for over 60% of the total income of villagers.
Tengchong City has abundant tourism resources, and Smola is also collaborating with local tea gardens, hot seas and other tourist attractions to jointly create six business models: Wa Township style, Guzhai Township tourism, agricultural tourism and leisure, homestay demonstration, hot spring leisure, and modern agriculture, forming a 22 kilometer tourism loop.
In April 2021, Smola was selected as a provincial-level demonstration route for learning and experiencing party history education. Zhao Jiaqing said that Simora is seizing this opportunity to carry out red education and research activities, telling the story of the great changes in the Wa village and strengthening the sense of community of the Chinese nation to the outside world. The Zhenxing School, which serves as a research and red education base, is also under construction.
Retaining Talents to Promote Revitalization
The young people in the village have gone out for a run, but now they are returning home.
Zhao Renxin, a young man of the Wa nationality, is an able person who dares to go and do things in the village. He has spent many years in star rated hotels and the Old Town of Lijiang.
In 2020, Zhao Renxin returned to his hometown with experience, and the improved version of barley cake was almost a souvenir for tourists. He also integrated the Yanzhi fruit wine, a specialty of the Simora Wa ethnic village, and signed a long-term contract with a liquor company outside the province to supply 1 ton per year.
Tourists are shopping at Zhao Renxin's store. Photo by Li Faxing, a journalist from People's Daily Online
Due to occasional visits from tourists who came in admiration, Zhao Renxin regretted that there were few activities to experience in the village. In August of this year, he rented a shop for 85000 yuan. He plans to open a flower cake baking workshop to provide tourists with a one-stop service of making, tasting, and purchasing. Ultimately, he hopes to build a rose planting base, which not only enriches the tourism industry but also provides more employment opportunities for the village.
"The return of villagers to their hometowns is the result of vigorously promoting rural revitalization," Zhao Jiaqing said. As long as people are diligent, returning home will not worry about having nothing to do.
Smola in development, with the assistance of "new villagers".
A cute and adorable little rabbit attracts customers, freshly ground coffee smells tempting, and the book bar is one of the popular places in the village, where you can find a corner to read the history of Tengchong.
In January of this year, the boss Ye was optimistic about the development prospects here and moved his family to Smola. She hopes to bring modern business thinking and aesthetic concepts to traditional villages, and spark more dazzling sparks with the ethnic culture here.
Next, the Leaf Plan will rely on the Happiness Book Bar to promote book clubs in the village, inviting renowned writers and craftsmen to communicate with the villagers and meet their spiritual and cultural needs.
Talent is the key to rural revitalization. In order to broaden his horizons and broaden his thinking, Zhao Jiaqing has repeatedly led village cadres to big cities and well-off villages to learn and learn from experience. "To build a happier Smola, more professional talents need to be gathered in the future," Zhao Jiaqing said. They also need to explore step by step, expand and strengthen the village collective economy, and lay a solid foundation for attracting talents.
Zhao Jiaqing introduced Simora to the inspection team. Photo by Li Faxing, a journalist from People's Daily Online
The development of Smola has also received widespread attention from the outside world. In May this year, experts and scholars from the social science community in Yunnan Province went deep into Smola to explore its happiness code. During the summer vacation, social practice teams from multiple universities both inside and outside the province also visited Smola and put forward specific suggestions on issues such as industrial development and homogenization of tourism products.
Coffee maker Luo Aiyan, who returned to her hometown for employment, took advice and upgraded the packaging of rouge fruit cream. She also plans to expand the homestay to 10 rooms this year, and add a fire pit in the yard to facilitate tourists to experience Wa roasted tea.
"Socialism is good, building a bridge of happiness. The roads are getting wider and wider as we walk..." As night falls, bonfires rise, villagers and tourists dance hand in hand, joyful wooden drums accompanied by happy songs, and the "night economy" of the mountain village lights up.
