Remote village finds wealth in isolation

ISOLATION, once the very thing that locked people into endless poverty, can be a source of wealth, as the story of Baodu Village in a remote mountainous area of Shanxi Province, tells.

Perched on a cliff 900 meters up on Mount Taihang, Baodu was an obscure and backward place. It only has nine permanent households and no road leads there. But it never lacks visitors, who have to trek over three hours through rapids and ravines to get there.

They come for its hidden beauty, surrounded by a lush forest and often enshrouded in mist.

“The view here is uniquely splendid and fascinating,” said a visitor, “but getting here is a tough task.”

“It’s hard to find the way here without a guide,” said Fu Zhaoxi, one of the few local residents.

Fu, 57, has been a guide for two years. Charging 200 yuan (US$30) for a round trip, he can make around 1,000 yuan a month, the same as working on the land.

“The number of tourists is increasing year by year, we had more than 10,000 visitors last year,” said Ji Xiqun, a local official. “Some came from Russia, France and South Korea.”

The government has helped with electricity, water and Internet connections, and built a public toilet and a camping site, but villagers insist there should be no road. They believe construction work will damage the local environment and easier access will eventually drive away the tourists.

All daily commodities are hoisted from the bottom of the cliff by winches, another draw to tourists.

By offering accommodation and food to tourists, all the nine households have escaped poverty.