Adoption of geoculture in Xinjiang lifts residents

Talate village in Keketuohai town, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, will be transformed into a geoculture village featuring a variety of landforms, sceneries and rich folk customs for tourists to explore.

The village, located in the Keketuohai National Geological Park in Altay Prefecture — the source of Irtysh River — is the only one in Xinjiang that was chosen on July 6 by the Geological Society of China to be in the first group of geoculture villages in the country.

The village boasts picturesque views throughout the year. One can appreciate the vast lands covered by green grass in the springtime, breathe the blossom-scented air during summer, enjoy the warm, rich hues of autumn in the birch forests and have a romantic weekend getaway in one of the village's snow-covered cabins during winter.

Wang Luping, Party secretary of Keketuohai, said the geological resources of the village, such as mine sites and granite hills, have enabled it to develop geotourism to lift the incomes of 184 households of Kazak people in recent years.

"The daily lives of herders and farmers here also display authentic ethnic customs and culture," he added. 

Guesthouses and homestays that serve the tourists have become the main source of income for residents. Last year, per capita income in the village reached nearly 30,000 yuan ($4,634). 

"The development of rural tourism in the village has also pushed forward the development of the local agricultural industry and animal husbandry," Wang said.