Youth returns to 'isolated' mountain village to run boutique B&B

During his childhood, Liu Hao always dreamed of leaving his home village of Jinyun in Chongqing's Jinyun Mountain, which he described as "isolated from the outside world". The 29-year-old, however, chose to come back six months ago with a firm resolve of "never leaving again".

The change of mind occurred as his home transitioned from a rustic, dowdy "agritainment" homestay into a boutique B&B exuding refined sophistication. The transformation was driven by a government initiative that aimed to not only enhance conservation of the lush mountains and lucid waters in the area, but also help natives benefit from their environment.

The picturesque scenery and high altitude of Jinyun Mountain have always attracted a large number of people seeking leisure and an escape from the heat. Like many households in the village, Liu's family began operating a homestay years ago, when he was only three years old.

However, the haphazard development of homestays has, to some extent, posed a threat to the village's environs — it is situated within the national nature reserve of Jinyun Mountain — as noted by authorities from Beibei, a district of Chongqing.

Before 2018, a rash of illegally constructed buildings and a large number of unauthorized agritourism facilities sprouted in multiple locations inside the reserve. Some local residents arbitrarily constructed houses or expanded existing ones for rental, sale or operating homestays. All these posed potential environmental risks.

Although the local government demolished all illegal buildings in the reserve — the floor area of which totaled 620,000 square meters — the homestays operated by residents remained low-end, hindering their ability to capitalize on the area's green mountains and clear waters as valuable assets for the local community.

At that time, local residents' homestays usually only cost 80 to 100 yuan ($11 to 14) per room per day, with three meals included.

Liu described the homestay his family ran then as "low-end" with "terrible environment". "I didn't want to engage in it at all," he recalled.

He, however, was fascinated after the local government announced an initiative to upgrade residents' homestays in a village meeting during the Spring Festival holiday in February 2024. Under the initiative, the Beibei district government would hire professional designers to offer customized design solutions to villagers interested in upgrading their homestay facilities.

"I was overcome with the desire to go home at that very instant," he said.

Liu, who worked at an advertising agency in downtown Chongqing, couldn't resist getting involved in the renovation work remotely once construction began. He even returned occasionally to help in person. Shortly after the renovation was completed, he decided to venture into managing the resort.

The upgrade proved to be a success. Though the number of guest rooms decreased to eight from 12, the price per room per night has increased to up to 500 yuan, he said.

"Our rooms are always fully booked on holidays and weekends. For holidays, tourists generally need to reserve one or two weeks in advance," he said, adding that their income have more than doubled.

Liu is just one of at least five young people, including a woman, who have come back from working outside to run their upgraded B&B, according to the Jinyun village committee.