Singing Villagers Boost Tourism in Yangshuo County

YANGSHUO COUNTY, China: While many across the world are battling concerns that their income is not catching up with the standard of living, villagers in southeastern China have seen their income grow ten-fold, thanks to a troupe of singing villagers.

Xu Jinfa, 56, is the typical villager by day, but by night, the fisherman from Guangxi transforms into a headlining act.

Xu is one of 200 villagers-turned-performers for a cultural show in Guilin.

Into its tenth year, the show, "Impressions Liusanjie" has become one of the main tourism attractions in the scenic city.

Tickets are sold out two weeks in advance for the 70-minute performance that features the traditional songs and dances of Guangxi's ethnic minorities.

Set against the natural lush hills and river landscape of Yangshuo County, and directed by Zhang Yimou, the show has been credited for the region's tourism boom in the past decade.

10.5 million tourists visited the region in 2012, up from 2 million in 2003, and villagers like Xu saw their income increase ten-fold.

"Many villagers bought vehicles and provided transport services. Some started farmstays, restaurants and some found jobs at hotels. Some women bought cars to drive tourists around.

"Mindsets saw huge changes. People no longer felt like they can only survive on farming," said Xu.

He has since ditched his fishing nets to become a boat rower and tour guide.

Thanks to the vibrant holiday industry, villagers have also been less compelled to leave home for bigger cities to work.

Shen Yongping, vice president, Guangxi Impressions, at Liusanjie Tourism and Culture, said: "For the past decade, these fishermen have embraced this cultural brand as their own. They treasure it, so for the next three to five years, they will continue with this career.

"Tourism is the main sector in Yangshuo. There's no heavy industries, so it's not affected by pollution. Commerce is not developed. If villagers head to nearby Guangzhou to work, they won't earn much more. At most, they could get RMB4,000 per month."

Operators now have plans to add an additional 1,000 seats to the auditorium by the end of this year -- which is good news for Xu who plans to continue singing in the show for as long as he can.