Poverty alleviation in Hainan Province is a microcosm of China, where comprehensive measures customized according to local conditions are lifting people out of poverty.

Even in the smallest Chinese province in terms of land area, poverty alleviation strategies differ from village to village.

Bohou village - Poverty alleviation based on tourism and leisure

Walking into Bohou village surrounded by mountains and seas, modern and beautifully designed B&Bs make an impression.

Just seven or eight years ago, Bohou was a closed and backward village. Typhoons caused seawater to back flow to farmland and turned it into saline-alkali land.

It led to a poor harvest and made it difficult for villagers to increase their income. In the past, they subsisted by breeding pigs.

Now all villagers have been lifted out of poverty, as the village focused on developing the lodging industry and its stylish B&Bs have caught attention on social media.

In the past seven years, the per capita annual disposable income in the village has increased from over 5,000 yuan (708 U.S. dollars) to 24,500 yuan.

Shicha village - Eliminated poverty by planting noble dendrobium

Located in a volcanic lava area, Shicha village is full of black stones solidified by volcanic magma. The climate is arid, and water is also a scarce resource.

In the past, villagers could only dig out minimal land from stone piles and grow drought-tolerant crops such as sweet potatoes to maintain their subsistence.

In 2015, noble dendrobium was found suitable to grow in the village where volcanic rocks are everywhere.

Since then, Shicha village has adopted the "enterprise + cooperative + farmer" model to develop the noble dendrobium industry, where villagers provide land, and enterprises contribute funds, seedlings, and technology.

More than 200 mu (13.32 hectares) of noble dendrobium base was built in 2015 and is now expanded to 500 mu.

Villagers increased income through land rent, dividends, and industry-related employment. The per capita income increased from 3,600 yuan (509 U.S. dollars) in 2013 to 24,000 yuan in 2019.

Fushan township - Coffee industry makes locals richer

Fushan coffee is a descendant of Robusta coffee in Java, a famous coffee-producing area in Asia.

It was brought back from Southeast Asia by overseas Chinese Chen Xianzhang in 1933 and adapted to the growth of Fushan after being domesticated.

The historical origins of coffee culture have made Fushan a "blessed land" for the coffee industry and benefited local coffee farmers. 

At present, Fushan has a coffee planting area of near 4,000 mu, which produces 795,000 tons of coffee beans worth about 31.8 million yuan annually.

There are more than 30 cafes and 15 coffee plantation cooperatives in town. Nearly 1,000 people engaged in the coffee industry, among which 28 who are from impoverished households, have been lifted out of poverty.

Haosheng village – Goat husbandry industry boosts the poverty alleviation efforts

In June 2017, Fu Huan received support from local authorities and took the lead in organizing 18 local poverty-stricken households to establish a breeding cooperative jointly.

They built a 200-square-meter area in the village that can accommodate 200 goats. The cooperative is now joined by 22 households.

In addition to the fixed funds the cooperative spends as a sub-infrared for all members each year, the poor households that joined it with poverty alleviation funds are given an extra profit distribution of 15 percent.

Fu said that absorbing poor households into the cooperative and giving them dividends is not the main purpose. 

Only after they learn the techniques of breeding and sales can they sustainably increase the income by taking the initiative to breed and sell black goats on their own.

Qili village - Eco-tourism as the strategy of rural vitalization

During the middle of summer, more than 400 mu of wild Barringtonia racemose trees bloom in Qili village. The overflowing fragrance of flowers has become a tourist attraction.

Qili village is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with lush vegetation, especially the largest wild Barringtonia racemose forest.

Experts said the oldest tree in the forest is about 800 years old, precious and rare and has unique ornamental value.

In recent years, the village has promoted the development of the forest's eco-tourism combined with its local characteristics, investing more than 30 million yuan in improving infrastructure in the village.

The industry brings more jobs, such as tour guides, security guards, cooks, and cleaners, to the villagers.

Video editing: Wang Xiaoxiao

Sansha Satellite TV contributed to the story.