Nestled deep within the Lüliang Mountains, past thirty switchbacks on a winding mountain road, the Jinjiayu Gorge suddenly reveals itself. Here, in the Mabaoguan natural village of Majiagou Village, Xishe Township, Jishan County, Shanxi Province, blue-stone dwellings climb the hillside in six cascading tiers, from the valley floor to the mid-slope—a thousand-year-old hamlet that has earned a spot on the third national list of traditional Chinese villages.
Under the shade of a tree by the village parking lot, 61-year-old Uncle Han sits fanning himself. Spotting a visitor, he grins and waves: "Here for a look around? Welcome, welcome. Our village has changed—it's lively now."
Just five or six years ago, Mabaoguan was a hollowed-out shell. Most young people had left for city jobs, leaving the elderly to tend crumbling stone houses. The permanent population had dwindled to under a hundred, and many old homes had fallen into disrepair, giving the village a tired, worn-down look.
That couldn't go on. The village's Party members and cadres sat down together and combed through every asset they had, again and again: the ancient locust trees from the Sui and Tang dynasties still thriving, the "Guangyutang" plaque from a Qing Dynasty military degree holder in the Qianlong era still hanging high, bullet-scarred walls of the old Anti-Japanese democratic government site, and a millennium-old spring that never runs dry. "These treasures—you couldn't build them with all the money in the world," they realized.
Led by the village Party branch, they conducted repeated field visits and collective assessments, and the direction gradually came into focus: leverage the revolutionary heritage and ancient village history, pursue a path of agriculture-tourism integration, and bring the old village back to life.
With the direction set, execution was key. The Party branch established a system where Party members took charge of households in designated zones. The then-village Party secretary, Han Genlong, led the charge, going door to door to persuade residents. Idle old houses were transferred to collective management for unified planning, project funding was secured, and infrastructure upgrades—sewage pipeline overhaul and parking lot improvements—were completed across the village. Following the principle of "restoring the old as it was," collapsed stone courtyards were rebuilt, the Hòujì Homeland Farming Culture Study Base was built on the revolutionary heritage site, and Mabaoguan gradually buzzed with activity.
As foot traffic grew, the Party branch began encouraging villagers with suitable homes to open guesthouses. Villager Han Wenlong was willing to try but hesitant: "These old houses passed down from my ancestors—would anyone actually come to stay?" Party cadres patiently did the math for him: "Tourists love this authentic, untouched feel. The roads are fixed, the study base is open—people will come, and they'll need a place to sleep." Finally, Han Genlong slapped his chest and promised: "You fix the place up, and the village will bring in the first tour group for you."
Reassured, Han Wenlong and his wife renovated their ancestral home and hung up a sign reading "Dragon and Phoenix Inn." In the summer of 2022, the first self-driving tourists from the city checked in. Over the years, during the peak season from June to September, the inn's rooms are booked solid, bringing in 7,000 to 8,000 yuan a month, with daily food and beverage revenue exceeding 2,000 yuan. "Running an inn at home beats working outside," Han Wenlong says with a smile as he greets guests.
The success of Dragon and Phoenix Inn didn't go unnoticed. The Party branch began planning the next step: since the tourism route was viable, they needed to expand the offerings and spread the benefits to more villagers. Early this year, they set a new blueprint—diversify the business types, extend the value chain, find ways to keep visitors overnight, and turn foot traffic into real income.
Party cadres led by example. Village committee member Zhao Juan'er took over an idle old house and launched "Field Food" farmhouse restaurant. Party member Feng Zhanjiao rented a stone room near the village committee compound and opened "Mountain Flowers" supply store, styled after an old-era cooperative, stocking shelves with wild honey, mountain walnuts, and wild black fungus that tourists always pick up as souvenirs. The village now has four farmhouse restaurants, and the guesthouses, dining, and mountain product sales form a complete income chain.
A full tourism loop has taken shape in Majiagou: starting at the Hòujì Homeland Farming Culture Study Base, winding through the ancient village, and ending at the open-air camping ground in the wild valley. The benefits extend beyond the business owners. One business lifts the whole neighborhood—Han Wenlong's inn sources ingredients from neighboring farmers first; Zhao Juan'er hires village women to help cook when things get busy; Feng Zhanjiao's store helps villagers sell wild honey and mountain walnuts to outside markets. In 2025, the village's collective economy income grew to 150,000 yuan, and the permanent population rose from under a hundred to over 200. With steady collective income, road repairs, water pipelines, and heritage maintenance no longer rely on handouts or waiting, and the Party branch finds itself with more energy to serve the villagers.
Now, the village Party branch is setting its sights even further. Xue Qiang, the village Party secretary and village committee director, stands at the supply store's doorway and points to the hillside: "We're planting daylily soon—harvest the same year you plant, used for both medicine and food, with stable market demand. By next spring, the slopes will be covered in blossoms—another sight to draw visitors."
As dusk falls, lights flicker on at the village cultural square, and a few villagers dance to the music. From deep in the stone alleys drift wisps of cooking smoke and the aroma of dinner. The hearth fires in the stone lanes burn ever brighter, and the village's road to revitalization grows ever wider. Back at the village entrance, Uncle Han waves his palm-leaf fan: "Before, we had good mountains and water but no idea how to make use of them. Now we're earning a living from tourism right at our doorstep—life just keeps getting better."
Comments