Next Stop: Unique Miao culture helps boost tourism

Shibadong Village in central China's Hunan Province was honored as one of the "Best Tourism Villages" by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in its 2024 selection.

Located in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, the pristine 400-year-old village is mainly inhabited by the Miao ethnicity. It is an important part of the Wuling Mountain Area Tujia and Miao Cultural and Ecological Protection Zone.

With its forest coverage rate reaching 80 percent, Shibadong boasts beautiful natural scenery and profound culture, as well as intangible cultural heritage projects like the Ganqiu Festival, a traditional Miao celebration of the approach of autumn.

Shibadong has deeply developed cultural resources, renovated ancient Miao dwellings and ancient post roads, and added cultural experience forms, such as Miao embroidery experience halls, agritainment and Miao homestay inns.

The place where targeted poverty alleviation was first put forward in 2013, it also acts as a window through which one can observe the development of modern Chinese villages.

The village has since nurtured industries such as tourism, bottled mineral water, and Miao embroidery and helped wean villagers off their reliance on government aid while luring back youngsters. So far, more than 200 young people have settled down in Shibadong, primarily engaging in the village's burgeoning tourism sectors.

Tourism is booming in the village, thanks to its unique Miao culture, special landscapes, and improved facilities. In 2023, Shibadong received more than 800,000 tourists and achieved a tourism revenue of nearly 20 million yuan (about $2,800,000).

Shibadong Village showcases a new vision of China's rural revitalization to the world, contributing Chinese wisdom, solutions and strength to global poverty reduction and sustainable development.

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(Cover designed by CGTN's Yu Peng)