Dayu Town: Driving revitalization through industry and transforming mountain villages

Ruzhou: To revitalize the countryside, industry must take the lead. Dayu Town, the only entirely mountainous township in Ruzhou City, had long faced development stagnation due to its geographical location and limited resources.

In recent years, Dayu Town has shouldered the banner of rural revitalization, employing location-specific strategies and scientific planning. With industrial planning, project implementation, and income generation as key measures, it has achieved remarkable breakthroughs in industrial development. The once impoverished mountainous region has been transformed into a provincial garden town and a model town for ecological tourism in the province.

On December 18, the “Thousand Villages, Thousand Faces” series of rural revitalization interviews in Henan Province visited the Yunbao Miaojiang rural homestay and leisure resort in Dayu Town, offering a firsthand experience of how ecological tourism supports rural revitalization.

In Yuan Kiln Village of Dayu Town, standing atop the centuries-old Wanan West Fortress, visitors can overlook the Yunbao Miaojiang homestay resort. White houses are nestled among lush green trees, and traditional homes with blue bricks and black tiles have been restored to their original charm in the mountains.

Although it’s currently the off-season for tourism, a few visitors can still be seen exploring the ancient fortress, sipping coffee, tasting copper pot lamb, and enjoying the serene mountain atmosphere away from the city’s hustle and bustle.

“Our work here is fulfilling, with a base salary of 2,500 yuan plus commissions,” said Chen Ruijuan, a homestay manager, expressing satisfaction with her growing income.

Why would a high-end homestay company choose this once impoverished village? “Thanks to years of afforestation efforts by the local government, Yuan Kiln Village now boasts an excellent ecological environment, a centuries-old fortress, and unique cultural heritage in Ruzhou porcelain. Above all, it was the local government’s sincerity that won us over,” explained Zhang Shun, the operator of the Yunbao Miaojiang homestay.

With a commitment to sustainability, Dayu Town launched a large-scale afforestation campaign in 2018, mobilizing local residents to plant side cypress, Chinese pistache, and red photinia across 70,000 acres in five years.

The town also undertook corridor enhancement projects along Jinma Road, planting over 11,000 bamboo, 6,000 oriental arborvitae, 3,000 red photinia, 1,900 black pines, and sowing 900 kilograms of wildflower seeds, enhancing a 16-kilometer stretch and significantly improving the ecological environment.

Improved ecology has attracted industries. In July 2020, Henan China Travel Group partnered with Ruzhou to develop the Wanan West Fortress into an immersive cultural and tourism destination. By May 2021, the Yunbao Miaojiang project, featuring restored residences and modernized rural homes, was completed and opened for visitors, creating jobs for over 120 local villagers.

In 2022, Yuan Kiln Village, home to Yunbao Miaojiang, was named a Provincial Rural Health and Tourism Demonstration Village, while Yunbao Miaojiang received recognition as a National Forest Health Pilot Base.

Dayu Town has actively revitalized unused rural resources, enhancing its homestay and cultural tourism industries. It encourages young entrepreneurs to return home and participate in tourism projects, transforming the town into a new growth hub and drawing increasing numbers of visitors.

By leveraging its natural beauty and cultural heritage, Dayu Town has introduced festivals such as the Apricot Blossom Festival, Maple Leaf Festival, and Ice & Snow Cultural Tourism Festival, further elevating its brand.

The town focuses on creating an “ecological stronghold, cultural tourism hub, and wellness destination.” Agricultural initiatives include planting 10,000 acres of Sichuan pepper and cultivating beekeeping as a supplementary industry. Beekeeping operations span multiple villages, producing over 10 tons of honey annually, generating 300,000 yuan in collective economic income.

In addition, Dayu Town has embraced red tourism, attracting over 20,000 annual visitors to memorial sites like the Ruzhou Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall. The Hongbao Ruzhou Porcelain Cultural Park also integrates research, education, and tourism, hosting 20,000 tourists and training 3,000 students annually.

According to Liu Jingqu, Deputy Party Secretary and Mayor of Dayu Town, future plans include tapping into the town’s historical, cultural, and natural resources to build a comprehensive tourism brand. By aligning ecology, culture, and industry, Dayu Town aims to become a model for sustainable rural revitalization.