What would make someone return to one of China’s most remote villages after graduating from college?

For Jilie Ziri, the answer was simple: home.

Nestled among steep cliffs in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Abuluoha was once among China’s most impoverished villages. It was also the last village in the country to gain road access.

Today, the village is connected to the outside world and entering a new chapter of development.

After returning home, Jilie Ziri became the village Party secretary. Working with local authorities and fellow villagers, he has helped improve infrastructure, develop local industries and create new opportunities for the community.

Now, Jilie Ziri has a new goal: to let more people discover his hometown and help turn its breathtaking mountain landscape into new opportunities through rural tourism.