Chongqing - On the mist-covered slopes of Wulong’s Fairy Mountain, Jingzhu Village has transformed from a rocky, impoverished settlement into a United Nations-recognized “Best Tourism Village.” The unlikely symbol of this rise is a cup of coffee brewed on a cliff.
A panoramic view of Jingzhu Village. (Photo/Wulong District)
Inside the Wuyou Library, steam from the espresso machine breaks the quiet. Behind the counter, 55-year-old Ran Guangfang draws a perfect tulip atop a latte and gently pushes the cup forward. “Have a taste,” she says with a smile.
This small cup now brings big returns. This year, Jingzhu’s “village coffee” generated over 400,000 RMB (56,214 USD), selling 300–400 cups a day during peak season and reaching 16,000 RMB in a single day. Ran earns a steady salary as a barista instead of working long hours in the fields.
Her story reflects Jingzhu’s broader shift: ecology-based development and creative tourism turning “green mountains” into “golden mountains.”
From Rocky Farmland to Tourism Hotspot
For years, Jingzhu struggled with thin soil and rocky desertification. “We grew tobacco and worked from dawn to dusk for barely 30,000 RMB a year,” Ran recalled. Young villagers left in large numbers.
The turning point came with the Guiyuan Town cultural-tourism project, which brought new infrastructure and visitors. Ran, then a cleaner, became curious about the coffee tourists carried. With no instructor, she learned from mobile videos and practiced latte art using soy sauce and dish soap. After months of practice, she became the coffee bar’s main barista.
Ran Guangfang prepares a cup of coffee. (Photo/Wulong District)
As her skills grew, so did tourism. From January to October this year, Jingzhu welcomed 380,000 visits, up 30% year-on-year, generating 95 million RMB in revenue.
Jingzhu’s success begins with its natural landscape. The village cataloged its resources — 5 km of cliffs, two significant karst caves, seven tiankeng (sinkholes), four scenic peaks, and forests, stone forests, starry skies, and cloud seas. Based on this “ecological inventory,” the village launched more than 10 integrated culture-tourism projects totaling nearly 400 million RMB.
These efforts created signature experiences: drinking coffee above a sea of clouds, watching sunsets from cliffside homestays, picking fruit in high-mountain orchards, enjoying open-air hotpot during summer music nights, and soon playing football in a rare sinkhole stadium set to open next May.
With its ecological charm and proximity to Fairy Mountain National Tourist Resort, Jingzhu earned the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) “Best Tourism Village” title. Ecological protection is now written into local rules: “Ecology is a treasure — once lost, it’s hard to recover.”
Industries That Keep Tourists Staying
To keep visitors from becoming “passers-by,” Jingzhu has expanded its agriculture–culture–tourism model. At the Experts and Academicians Base, Academician Xiang Zhonghuai from the Chinese Academy of Engineering introduced high-altitude varieties, including blueberries and grapes. The village has since developed 1,500 mu (100 hectares) of high-mountain specialty fruits, 2,500 mu of vegetables and specialty crops, achieving an annual agricultural output of about 30 million RMB.
The vegetable planting base in Jingzhu Village. (Photo/Wulong District)
Villagers are direct beneficiaries. Wu Zhiqiang replaced tobacco with sticky corn in 2020, expanding from 20 mu to 80 mu. His fields now serve as a tourist picking site and supply homestays and online stores, earning him much more than before.
Wang Wanbi rents her 200-year-old wooden home to the village for an old-style teahouse. She works there and teaches visitors traditional batik, adding cultural depth to the tourist experience.
Tourism also boosted the village’s “night economy.” Yang Xiaobo, Jingzhu’s first homestay owner, once struggled to fill rooms. Now, his 33 rooms are booked weeks in advance, each occupied for over 120 days a year. His 2024 income reached 280,000 RMB, more than five times what it was a decade ago.
From January to September, 22,000 overnight visitors stayed in Jingzhu, creating over 100 local jobs.
Jingzhu Village at night. (Photo/Wulong District)
In 2024, the village’s per-capita disposable income reached 25,570 RMB, up 4.8% and 15% above Chongqing’s average. Nearly 60% now comes from operating income, signaling a shift from external support to self-sustaining growth.
With unique scenery, diversified industries, and community participation, Jingzhu Village is showing how rural revitalization can flourish — one cup of coffee, one new opportunity, and one revitalized mountain village at a time.