Village guesthouses create prosperity at home

To better manage the brand of "Water Town in Northern China", the village committee started a company in 2015 to help run all the guesthouses. It was a pioneering move in Tianjin to efficiently manage the price and quality of service of the guesthouses.

Wang Xiaoyu, who with her mother-in-law currently runs a guesthouse which earned 300,000 yuan last year, speaks highly of the management of the company.

"During this year's pandemic, it was the company that checked the health QR codes for visitors," Wang said. "Sometimes we are too busy to check."

In 2018, Tianjin was paired up with Northwest China's Gansu province to provide help. Guojiagou, a village previously left behind in the economy, now has valuable experience in overcoming poverty that could assist its counterparts. Now, a tourism model pivoting on guesthouses has been adopted by some villages of Gansu.

Near winter, with the peak tourist season past, the village has now regained its peace. On a late afternoon, Wang has just brought her son back home from school.

Three cars have parked in front of the door of Wang's guesthouse. Friends have gathered in her house, playing mahjong. Hu said he will join them later, now that they have the time and are in the mood to play it the whole day. Sunshine has been pouring into the house, leaving it bright and warm inside.

Guo Zezhong contributed to this story.