Tourism helps villagers climb out of poverty

Cliff-top outpost shows other poor rural areas how attracting visitors can kick-start development

Editor's Note: As the People's Republic of China prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary on Oct 1, China Daily is featuring a series of stories on the role regions have played in the country's development and where they are today.

A cliff-top village which was until recently only accessible by climbing 800 meters of precarious, dangling rattan ladders, has become a major tourist attraction in Sichuan province.

Tourists from across the province flock to Atuleer village, Zhaojue county, Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture to see the rattan ladders. Sometimes they even try to climb them. The cool climate of the village, which is home to 500 people, also attracts visitors trying to escape the worst of the summer heat.

Ahke Jiushe, an official with the Zhaojue government, said Atuleer, once impoverished and barely known to the outside world until several years ago, now boasts a hotel with Wi-Fi as well as hot water for guests to shower.

"Tourists come to the village all year round; for the flowers in spring, the leaves in autumn, the snow in winter and to escape the heat in summer," Ahke said.

Life in the "cliff village" garnered nationwide attention in 2016 when a Chinese newspaper published a collection of photos featuring students scaling the 1,400 meter cliff via the rattan ladders.

When residents refused to leave the site despite the difficulties of living there, the local government spent 1 million yuan ($145,400) to add a steel ladder with a handrail that has cut travel time to the nearest town from three hours to one.

China Telecom followed with an investment of 1.5 million yuan to bring cellphone service and the internet to the villagers.

Interest from tourists has encouraged a company in the provincial capital of Chengdu to invest in the wider region, which is home to canyons, karst caves, hot springs and primitive forests.