Chinese villagers find 'magical way' to beat poverty

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People in a Chinese village are attempting to strike it rich in a creative way amid government's efforts to revitalize rural population.

Liyu, a village in northern China's Shanxi Province, has risen to fame for its "magic". Nearly half of its residents can perform magic, and it has helped them increase incomes.

Village's CPC Secretary Wang Zhuhong plays a walnuts trick. /CGTN Photo

Wang Zhuhong, 50-year-old secretary of the Communist Party of China committee in the village started to learn tricks as a child and has been teaching villagers to learn the art for almost a decade.

"Liyu village used to be quite poor. Local villagers could only make a living by farming. So when I became the Branch Party Secretary here, I decided to teach them to perform magic to earn more," Wang said.

Wang Zhuhong can play dozens of tricks. /CGTN Photo

Hao Lanying, a 75-year-old student of Wang has been learning magic for more than seven years.

"I never thought I could learn magic. At first, I felt it was too hard. But Wang Zhuhong encouraged me to keep practicing. I was able to do it after a year," she said.

Hao Lanying "turning the fire into a rose". /CGTN Photo

Around 300 families are living in Liyu, and at least one member of each family can perform magic. They often practice in their yards. Of the village's population of around 900, over 400 have learned magic.

/CGTN Photo

They have established a performing center, which hosts around 50,000 tourists annually. Winter is off-peak-season and a time to rehearse.

They have already organized shows in recent years. Every person earns around 3,000 yuan a year on average by performing magic, a 60 percent increase in their annual incomes.

/CGTN Photo

"Our village doesn't have many natural advantages. But now we've built up this cultural advantage of performing magic. I hope the "magic business" can help boost tourism here, attracting more visitors to our village," said Wang.