B&B business brings wealth to villagers in NW China's Qinghai, boosts rural revitalization

Cao Yanhu, a villager in Chaka village, Chaka township, located near the Chaka Salt Lake, a popular tourist destination in Ulan county, northwest China's Qinghai Province, opened a B&B hotel in the village eight years ago.

Photo shows the stunning scenery of the Chaka Salt Lake, a popular tourist destination in Ulan county, northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Qinghai Daily/Zhang Hongxu)

As the Chaka Salt Lake has become increasingly popular in recent years, Cao thought that the traditional operating model was lagging behind the rapid development of the tourism industry of the salt lake.

Thanks to the local government's support, Cao attended a training course organized by the township, and went to Moganshan township, a B&B hub in east China's Zhejiang Province, to learn from the latter's experience in 2019.

Back from Zhejiang, Cao invested 1.9 million yuan ($260,460) to upgrade his B&B hotel.

"In less than one month during the peak tourism season in the next year of the upgrade, my B&B hotel had a turnover of 200,000 yuan," Cao said, adding that his B&B hotel has enjoyed prospering business.

Photo shows a view of the B&B hotel of Cao Yanhu, a villager in Chaka village in Chaka township, Ulan county, northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Qinghai Daily/Zhang Hongxu)

The booming tourism in the Chaka Salt Lake has brought new opportunities to the village, said Zhang Fawang, an official of Chaka village, adding that it has embarked on a new path of green development, and the B&B industry has become a pillar industry that boosts the locals’ incomes. According to Zhang, most of the villagers used to work outside the village or planted crops such as wheat and potatoes for a living.

Today, 207 households in Chaka village run B&B hotels that offer 3,850 beds. In 2022, the per capita disposable income of villagers exceeded 18,000 yuan.

Zhang said the village will upgrade infrastructure for the development of the B&B sector to expand channels for locals to fatten their wallets and boost rural revitalization.

Aerial photo shows Chaka village in Chaka township, Ulan county, northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Qinghai Daily/Zhang Hongxu)