Chongqing- In early December 2020, I traveled to Nixi Town in Yunyang County over three hundred kilometers to the northeast of Chongqing Urban Area. This township was designated among 18 deeply impoverished areas in Chongqing Municipality. It was given the target of eradicating poverty through Two Non-Concerns and Three Guarantees, which cover safe housing, child education, and medical care, whilst undertaking programs to revitalize the communities through agriculture and enterprise.

As the year draws to a close, Nixi Town is ready to announce the poverty alleviation drive has been successful. In anticipation, I stayed in Nixi Town for three days and two nights. During that time, I toured local agricultural bases, producing large quantities of black fungus, mushrooms, oranges, and jasmine, among many local specialty products.

Private enterprise has also played a significant role in driving the local economy toward prosperity. The Three Gorges Agricultural Park is a large scale country resort built through the investment of local businessman Mr. Liang Bing. The resort provides a complete range of tourist facilities that include accommodation, catering, and recreation amongst mountains and rivers' pristine natural surroundings.

The Three Gorges Agriculture Park is a privately invested tourist resort that helps drive the local economy (iChongqing/ James Alexander)

Tourists from Chongqing and neighboring provinces mostly stay during the summer months. The opportunity to experience traditional farming methods and culture is one of the more unique attractions on offer.

Highlights included physical displays of farming implements that modern generations have little chance to experience. There are also handicrafts, such as making rattan accessories, which involve highly skilled techniques that visitors can attempt under the tutelage of local masters. Another unique feature is a traditional water-powered wheat mill, an experience that truly displays historical generations' wisdom and makes one appreciate the great energy invested in raw materials we usually take for granted.

In this first of two vlogs filmed in Nixi Town, we visit local agriculture bases and experience the traditional farming methods and handicrafts of old.

The mushroom industry is now thriving in Nixi thanks to infrastructure, hard-work, and digitalized sales platforms (iChongqing/ James Alexander).