Homestay transforms rural dreams into prosperity

The results of the second national selection of Youth Pioneers for Rural Vitalization, jointly organized by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, were recently announced. Chen Hongchi, chairman of Guizhou Shuidong Xiangshe Tourism Development Co in Kaiyang county, Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, was included on the list.

Leaving Kaiyang was Chen's childhood dream. However, in 2011, he gave up a high-paying job, returned from Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangzhou province, to Kaiyang, and embarked on an entrepreneurial journey from nothing.

In 2015, he founded a hotel management company in Longguang village, Kaiyang county, after noticing all the unused and abandoned rural houses in the village.

In August 2016, he decided to establish Shuidong Xiangshe Homestay, renovating idle farmhouses into guesthouses. Leveraging the village's beautiful scenery and natural resources, he aimed to develop rural tourism, revitalize idle rural resources, and increase incomes for local farmers. The homestay project was officially launched in 2017.

By introducing funds from the city and utilizing idle rural houses, the homestay project established a stable mechanism for mutual benefits. Soon, the Shuidong Xiangshe Homestay gained popularity, attracting a continuous stream of investors. More and more villagers also voluntarily participated by investing in their own idle farmhouses.

In order to digitalize rural tourism resources, the project also launched an application called "Cun Cun" – a digital rural operation platform. It meets the needs of tourists for one-stop rural exploration and is aimed at creating a more convenient travel experience and a richer variety of leisure options.

To date, the project has cost 179 million yuan ($24.92 million). Since the project's launch, the annual income of participating farmers has exceeded 24,000 yuan, while the annual income for employed farmers has surpassed 30,000 yuan.