Boluo village in Yunnan: achieving prosperity in the Lancang River basin

The blooming flowers and solar-powered streetlights that line both sides ofpaved roads, groves of nut trees and coffee fields full of vitality, colorful Yi ethnic group-style paintings covering farmhouse walls,rows of villas standing near the mountains in the distance, and other delightful scenery that comes into view when entering Boluo (Chinese for “pineapple”) village, Houjing township, Yunxian county, Lincang city, Yunnan province, reflects the rural, environmental, and developmental beauty that the Lancang River-area hamlet has achieved in recent years.

In 2020, coffee was farmed on more than 76 ha of the fields in the village’s borders, which resulted in nearly 330 tons of the crop being produced and 824,700 yuan (US$127,334) of output value being achieved. Farmers also grew four-season tangerines on 20 ha of land and began producing Lincang-brand nuts on approximately 91 ha of land, which brought the total cultivated acreage in Boluo up to 245 ha.

A newly established farmers’ cooperative also began leasing 20 ha of arable land from the hamlet’s residents in order to launch a red rice cultivation project. Approximately 70,000 kg of the crop is currently being produced per year for 560,000 yuan (US$86,460) of output value. The village invested 1.38 million yuan (US$213,072) in the construction of a fully automated rice processing factory in order to develop its Boluo Little Red Rice brand, and the city of Shanghai signed a purchase agreement with the cooperative worth 192,000 yuan (US$29,645) for 12,000 kg of the product.

Boluo has been actively exploring an industrial development model involving “enterprises + farmers + a base” as well. In 2021, inhabitants began growing gluten-free winter beans, spicy millet peppers, and other crops on 20 ha of fields that they leased to a partner company, with a total output value of more than 1.8 million yuan (US$277,920). It is estimated that the project can help residents increase their incomes by a total of over 600,000 yuan (US$92,640).

Boluo has also been improving its roads, water supply, electricity, and other infrastructure and conserving and making use of its natural resources in line with the rural vitalization campaign that is currently underway in China. It has repaired irrigation ditches and enhanced large-scale irrigation facilities, upgraded the quality of its drinking water, built 6 km’s worth of new farm roads leading to the Manjiu (“Slow Old”) River; constructed reservoirs and 8 km’s worth of farm roads and irrigation pipelines in a section of the hamlet known as Daliangzi and a community known as Keleshan; repaired two large ditches in Keleshan and one in central Boluo, and completed a project that involved hardening its main roads and supplying nine of its residential clusters with paved roads. Every effort has been made to improve the lighting in the village, green and beautify it, and enhance its living environment. The administrative area has been fine tuning local rules and regulations, promoting the alteration of outdated customs and habits in its borders, and advocating newer and simpler management of guest affairs as well in order to help foster a down-to-earth folk atmosphere.

Currently focused on its long-term goal of pursuing rural tourism, “idyllic, bucolic  Boluo” has been taking advantage of its ethnic Yi culture, Lancang basin landscapes, agricultural culture, and the other propitious resources at its methodically developing integrated scenic areas in its borders. A total of 7,758-sq m’s worth of traditional folk culture corridors have been completed, 1,100 sq m’s worth of bluestone roads have been paved, and 30 traditional homes have been remodeled since 2018. An observation platform and a structure known as the Jingguang pavilion were also built as well as a new gate at the village’s entrance. Approximately 0.45 ha of land has been acquired for the purpose of establishing a sightseeing park devoted to agricultural culture, and the main construction project at the site is underway at present.

Thriving and developing rapidly, Boluo has become a place where the culture is rich, the scenery is beautiful, the facilities are consummate, and residents are happy and prosperous.