China News Service, Liuzhou, February 6th: Happiness is "electric" as guests from home and abroad flock to Dong Township in Guangxi

　　Author Zhang Guangquan Wei Lu Lu Dongqi

　　Recently, the 2024 National Spring Festival "Village Gala" and "Spring Comes to Thousands of Families" mass cultural main venue activities with the theme of "Happy Chinese Year at Hundreds of Dong Village Banquets" were brilliantly staged at Chengyang Bazhai Scenic Area, Linxi Town, Sanjiang, Guangxi. Tourists from home and abroad are pouring in. According to the real-time records of electricity consumption of China Southern Power Grid and Guangxi Power Grid, during the week of the "Village Evening" (January 27-February 3), Sanjiang's electricity consumption reached 10.4275 million kilowatt hours, a year-on-year increase of 19.72%.

The picture shows the Chengyang Bazhai Wind and Rain Bridge in winter (data map). Photo by Lu Wen

　　Wu Aixian, the proprietress of Aixian Farm Family Banquet Restaurant, is the organizer of the "Village Evening" experience program "Hundred Family Banquets". A variety of Dong specialty dishes are produced by their 69-person "Hundred Family Banquet" chef team .

　　"Hundred Family Banquet" is the highest etiquette for the Dong people to receive distinguished guests. Wu Aixian, 55 years old, has participated in the "Hundred Family Banquets" since she was a child and is familiar with the various rituals of the "Hundred Family Banquets". In her early years, Wu Aixian and her husband went out to work. Later, seeing the potential for the development of cultural tourism in Sanjiang, she returned to her hometown of Yanzhai in 2008 to run a farmhouse integrating accommodation and catering, and became the initiator of "Hundred Family Banquets".

　　From 2019 to now, China Southern Power Grid Guangxi Power Grid Company has invested 868 million yuan in Sanjiang to carry out the transformation and upgrading of county-level rural power grids; in 2022, combined with the wooden structure buildings and environmental characteristics of the core scenic spot of Chengyang Bazhai, overhead lines will be underground to allow villagers to open Use electricity.

The picture shows the power supply personnel coming to check the power operation of electrical appliances for the Aixian Farm Family Banquet. Photo by Ma Huabin

　　Wu Aixian installed 15 air conditioners, 3 large freezers and other electrical appliances in B&Bs and restaurants. In 2023, she will also replace the restaurant's single-phase electricity meter with a high-power three-phase electricity meter.

　　"There are too many guests. If the air conditioner and kitchen cooking are turned on at the same time, it won't be able to carry the car without changing the electric meter." Wu Aixian said that this year's "Village Gala" attracted more tourists to pay attention to Sanjiang. During this period, her restaurant had 20 tables Tables are full every day, the table turnover rate is very high, 9 guest rooms are fully booked every day, and tourists from the Northeast come here.

　　Wu Aixian said with a smile that during the first few years when she opened restaurants and B&Bs, her income was just enough to buy oil and salt. Nowadays, Dong culture has gone global. In 2023, she hosted more than 300 "Hundred Family Banquets", and the average income of the cooks was more than 50,000 yuan. The annual electricity consumption of Wu Aixian's farmhouse reached 7,642 kilowatt hours, which is equivalent to more than three times the annual consumption of ordinary urban households. In January this year, it reached 744 kilowatt hours, a year-on-year increase of 34%.

　　After the live broadcast of "Village Evening" ended, the "Colorful Folklore" immersive display and experience activities continued lively. Chen Qunli is the organizer of the "Hundred Family Banquet" in Ma'anzhai. The cooks sang Dong songs, carried their own food baskets on poles, and served Dong special dishes to the guests at the long table, showing the Dong people's hospitality to the people across the country.

　　Chen Qunli works at the Chengyang Bazhai Scenic Area Tourist Management Center. After work, she works as a cook for the "Hundred Family Banquets". Her life is getting better and better. Her home appliances have been renovated and she has also bought a car.

　　Busy till late at night. After returning home, she logged into the "China Southern Power Grid 95598" WeChat service account and used the "Electricity Consumption Calendar" to check her daily electricity consumption.

　　"Energy is about 53 cents per kilowatt hour, which costs about 70 to 80 yuan a month. The weather has been cold recently, so if you want to keep warm, you will probably use more electricity." Chen Qunli said, "Life is getting better, there are more electrical appliances, and we use more electricity." "

　　These constantly beating batteries are just like their family's steps towards happiness. (over)