[Rural Revitalization] "Coal Mine Village" becomes "Peach Blossom Spring" What kind of experience is it to live in a 4A-level scenic village?
[Explanation] Blue sky and white clouds, red roofs and blue bricks, two-story houses and neat high-rise buildings are lined up along the roadside of the road entering the village in Taolingou Village.
In midsummer, the thousands of acres of peach forests in Taolingou Village, Yangquan, Shanxi Province began to bear fruit. The village was surrounded by lush green trees and a long bridge over a blue lake. This village located on the rich coal mine is now like a "Xanadu" in the painting.
Taolingou Village is located on the outskirts of Yangquan City, Shanxi Province. It is a coal resource-based village. After the reform and opening up, the coal industry has become the first pillar industry of the village.
In 2013, Taolingou Village decisively sold its coal mines, decoupled from the resource-based economy, and transformed into a green development path.
[Concurrent] Shi Pengfei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Taolingou Village
Our Taolingou Village used to have a population of more than 600. Although it was called Taolingou Village, there was not a single peach tree in the village. Later, we started to plant peach trees in order to change the economic structure and increase the income of the people.
After the first Peach Blossom Festival, there were more people watching, and then when the second one started, there would be tourists gradually. We also thought about developing the rural economy and increasing the income of the common people, so we began to rely on tourism.
Then in 2014, we officially applied to become a 4A-level scenic spot.
[Explanation] Today's Taolingou Village has built an aerial plank road, water rafting, rainbow slides, playgrounds, and Taohe Folk Culture Park. One step at a time, you can experience amusement, leisure, picking, and food here.
When the reporter came to Taolingou Village, 47-year-old Li Hailing was checking the amusement facilities in the scenic spot.
Five years ago, she lived in Dananzhuang Village, a poor village in Yangquan, Shanxi Province, drinking water and farming for a living.
[Concurrent] Villager Li Hailing
In the past, in Dananzhuang Village, our living conditions were to farm the land for a living, and there was no sideline. Some young people went out to work, while the rest of the children and the elderly did some farm work at home.
When the children go to school, they have to walk two or three miles to go to school. Let's drink water, which is the well water we used before, and the well water after rainy days.
[Explanation] In 2017, with the implementation of the "whole village relocation" initiative in Shanxi Province, the whole village of Dananzhuang Village was relocated, and more than 300 villagers moved into Taolingou Village together.
[Concurrent] Villager Li Hailing
Income has also increased relatively, and it is very convenient for children to go to school, instead of walking, they go by car.
As for the house, we lived in our building from the previous brick and tile building. In the unit room, we have our own small home.
The income of our couple in the scenic spot is much higher than before, and the living conditions are quite good.
[Explanation] In 2021, the Rural Industry Development Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced the list of villages with rural characteristics of 100 million yuan in the country, and Taolingou Village is on the list.
Driven by characteristic industries such as leisure and sightseeing agriculture, tourism industry, and manufacturing, in 2019, the collective assets of Taolingou Village reached nearly 500 million yuan, and the per capita annual income of the villagers was 20,000 yuan.
[Concurrent] Shi Pengfei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Taolingou Village
Taking advantage of the period of the epidemic (prevention and control), when there were few tourists and the tourism market was sluggish, we improved our infrastructure, upgraded our files, and solved our living problems. A new hotel was built in the scenic area, ready to receive tourists from outside.
E-commerce is an emerging thing. For this side, our scenic spots may use them to launch some brands, or launch some practical things, and then let them help us in publicity and marketing, enhance the popularity of our scenic spots, and then enhance the experience of tourists. Improve our service quality and do some preparations for the recovery of tourism.
Reported by reporter Qu Lixia from Yangquan, Shanxi
Responsible editor: [Li Yuxin]