Tourism on high

Located more than 1,500 meters above sea level, a village in Inner Mongolia autonomous region's Arxan welcomes visitors to enjoy its attractions surrounded by nature and deer, Yang Feiyue reports.

Amidst the snowcapped forest and running river waters, sika deer look for food at Lucun village in late October.

They are not afraid of humans, and some even approach and interact with passersby.

Lucun sits in the south of Bailang town in Arxan city, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. It used to be home to fewer than 30 rural households, with all of them living in abject poverty.

Zheng Xiaolin, a Lucun official, says the locals relied on lumbering for a living about two decades ago.

"The work was labor intensive and had taken a toll on the locals' health, especially those in their old age," Zheng recalls.

When Zheng arrived in Lucun village in 2009, weeds covered the roadside. There were also no other industries that the village could fall back on.

Situated in a cold highland area, Lucun is more than 1,500 meters above sea level. It is covered with snow for eight months throughout the year, making it hard for crops to take root and grow.