Rural town in Lijiang takes on new look with paintings and ecological farming

Farmyards in Xiao'achang village, Lijiang, Yunnan province are adorned with hand-painted murals. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Farmyards in Xiao'achang village, Jiuhe township, Yulong Naxi autonomous county in Lijiang, have recently been adorned with hand-painted murals.

With a focus on "keeping the rural images and rejuvenating rural villages", the murals depict agricultural life, 24 solar terms and 24 ancient stories relating to filial piety.

The murals were designed by masters who have contributed months of effort to Lijiang's Wangu Tower scenic spot, not only in terms of landscaping, but also to enrich the spiritual character of the village.

The village, with a typical blend of Naxi and Bai ethnic culture, has been making headway in its cultural development.

It has managed to preserve its culture by reconstructing the ancient Gaohe Tower and establishing a local cultural development association as well as a cultural exhibition hall.

Measures have been taken in recent years to increase the income of farmers by actively developing rural tourism.

The village has made efforts to develop farming practices by raising fish in paddy fields. It is a devised sustainable and efficient agricultural system which saves on cost, labor and land while producing more rice and fish.

In 2017, Jiuhe township started to host tourist festivals to promote a series of local agricultural products, such as fish, and the sustainable development of natural landscape ecological tourism.

Neighboring villages, including Zhonghe, Longying and Guanshang, have also gradually attached importance to the eco-friendly farming industry, achieving a total output value of 1.37 million yuan ($214,000).