Zhuluoji Village: Rural tourism gives impetus to poverty alleviation

“Scenic spots must be rooted in culture. Without culture, they are empty,” said Li Yingcong, deputy chief of the Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, TV and Tourism in Lufeng County. In 2017, Li Yingcong was appointed to the position in charge of building the Zhuluoji Village (or Jurassic Village). The goal of Li and his team was to develop the village into a demonstration scenic spot of all-for-one tourism and explore a new path for the breakthrough development of Lufeng tourism.

Under the jurisdiction of central Yunnan’s Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, the Lufeng County is where the 4A destination World Dinosaur Valley is located. And the Zhuluoji Village is built and developed beside the dinosaur valley. It is a relocation settlement of 34 poverty-stricken households. 

Last April, the Zhuluoji Village was first open to tourists. It has now includes a Jurassic street, a creative cultural park, a cultural experiencing home stay, an exploration park, a bull-fighting ring, and a Yi people’s ten-month solar calendar cultural park. Since its opening, the village has received more than 10,000 visitors.

In the Zhuluoji, almost every villager has their own skills, and they form the backbone force of displaying Yi people’s culture. 47-year-old Zhang Lanhua is running a tofu-making workshop and has won recognition from tourists and other villagers by recipes handed down from generations. Zhang Zhiyou, 37, is good at playing bamboo flute and dancing. Zhang Yiwei is a talented singer and dancer, while his wife is capable of weaving locally-feathered cloth. Yang Chenghua is a master of Zuojiao(left-foot) dance. To guarantee that these cultural inheritors keep their mind on their work, the county government buy them insurance and housing fund. They also get a monthly salary of more than 2,500 yuan. And their households have been lifted out of poverty.

Text and photos by Li Chengsheng and Chuxiong Wechat Tourism