In Xinjiang, village gets profitable facelift

At the invitation of local officials, Zhang Yi, a guesthouse designer from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province went to Sigong village in Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, to turn people's homes into homestay guesthouses.

"I fell in love with the beautiful scenery in Xinjiang the first time I came here," Zhang said. "I have participated in several guesthouse designs in Zhejiang, so when the officials invited me, I came without hesitation."

Sigong village sits close to several popular tourist sites in Ili, and with its unique lavender plantations and ethnic customs, local officials believe the village will gain popularity with tourists, which will help the villagers get rid of poverty. In a big step last year, they decided to develop homestay guesthouses.

"We have invited different designers here, and many investors think highly of the future development of tourism," said Li Zengjie, the village party chief. "So the village is expected to have more than 30 homestay guesthouses by the end of 2020."