Ecological development revives, preserves Chinese reindeer tribe (5)

The interior of Zhang Guofeng's family hotel at Aoluguya nationality township in Genhe, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Aug 6, 2020. [Photo by Zhao Shiyue/chinadaily.com.cn]

"Before 2003, the Ewenkis in Aoluguya earned a living via hunting wildlife and made only about 300 yuan a month, while their lives saw significant improvement after ecological migration," said Zhang Wanjun, head of the Aoluguya nationality township.

According to official statistics, the government has injected over 100 million yuan since 2003 to stimulate local tourism by taking advantage of the town's unique culture and natural resources.

By selling reindeer products and managing homestay businesses, the net income per capita of rural hunters soared from 1,277 yuan to around 20,000 yuan a year, statistics show.