Today, oxen are no longer important agricultural tools, and the narrow rural paths they used to plow have turned into wide roads, along which agricultural machinery and all sorts of small cars shuttle back and forth.
Since 2021, Guangnan has been Longsheng's model for rural vitalization and more than 10 million yuan ($1.38 million) has been invested to upgrade roads, river embankments and traditional homes. As a result, the village has attracted visitors from institutes of higher learning across the country on learning tours.
Meng Yongfan, who was one of the first residents to start a homestay and catering business for visitors, now brings in more than 300,000 yuan a year.
A dozen restaurants and homestays have sprung up since, to meet increased demand from travelers from China and abroad, Meng says.
Guangnan is just the tip of the widespread transformation that has taken place across Longsheng, which was recently ranked among the upcoming top 10 rural vitalization models by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In 2023, Longsheng county received 10.11 million visits, an increase of 67.27 percent compared to the previous year, and tourism spending reached 12.6 billion yuan, an increase of 66.35 percent year-on-year, according to county authorities.
About 90 kilometers away to the southeast, residents of Dazhai village earned collective tourism dividends of 7.25 million yuan last year.
