Residents from a village on Yuehua Street of Qiyunshan Mountain in Anhui province built their cottage on a cliff. The cottage, including temples and monasteries, creates a unique scene on the mountain.

With investment in tourism and infrastructure improvement, the 28 families involved in tourism are looking forward to a better future.

Yuehua Street is a major scenic area of Qiyunshan with an elevation of 43 meters. Temples, monasteries and cottages are scattered in abrupt cliffs and green trees in the area.

A 2.5-kilometer vehicle-free promenade starts from Wangxian (“Watching the Immortals”) Pavilion and leads to Yuxu Palace. It is paved with red sandy stones and cement. The promenade’s width ranges from 1.5 meters to 1.8 meters.

The village in the center of Yuehua Street was listed as a demonstration pilot village of Anhui province earlier this year thanks to efforts from all sectors and an investment of more than 70 million yuan ($11.4 million).

Bathing in the sunshine, the 16-meter high renovated Wangxian Tower amazes visitors with its traditional Hui-style architecture, a major kind of ancient Chinese structure known for its signature combination of gray tiles and white walls.

A 5.4-kilometer road for tourists is now under construction. “When completed, we will no longer have to commute on foot,” a local resident said.

The newly-built sewage treatment plant has adopted advanced treatment technology. It will treat 300 tons of sewage daily. Major construction has finished and work on the network of pipes will start soon.

The local people said the plant has both environmental and economic benefits. One resident said they have given up keeping poultry for the sake of environmental protection.

The construction met with difficulties, including poor infrastructure and funding shortages. The Qiyunshan town called for social funds to complete a group of projects, such as repairs of Taisu Palace, a pedestrian lane on Yuehua Street and a power supply network. These projects are progressing and will finish in stages.

Yuehua Street attracts tourists from nationwide.

The village amazes visitors with its traditional Hui-style architecture.

Wangxian Pavilion

Edited by Michael Thai, Huang Pei