Wine tasting tours attract visitors to former desert in NW China

Burgeoning wine tourism has also breathed new life into once impoverished villages, among which Haoyuan Village is a prime example.

Twenty years ago, the village was on barren land scarred with sand mine pits. With the support of the local government, the villagers began growing grapes, gradually turning the land into green vineyards and attracting 19 wineries.

More wineries meant more work opportunities, and jobs were soon available at vineyards and wineries, and locals also started earning money by running homestays or restaurants.

Haoyuan Village now welcomes about 500,000 visitors a year, raking in a total annual income of more than 5 million yuan. "The per capita disposable income in our village reached 19,800 yuan in 2021, of which about 60 percent was from wine tourism," according to village official Ai Xiaobao.

Some 40 "wine buses" shuttle visitors around the area, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenery outside while tasting wines in their seats. They can also hop off to visit to the vineyards and wineries they pass.

Yuan Yuan is owner of the Yuanshi winery in Haoyuan Village. She said that even during the pandemic, the winery received as many as 350,000 visitors a year.

"At the worst time, when many outlets selling our wines were closed, tourism played a significant role in promoting sales," she said. "About 70 to 80 percent of visitors bought our wines after being shown around."

The winery built a stargazing campsite this year, and it expects to launch its homestay services soon. "We also plan to operate field trips, which will help visitors learn more about wine," Yuan said.