Cyclists compete during the Stage 7 of the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai International Road Cycling Race from Gonghe to Haiyan, northwest China's Qinghai Province, July 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Qi Zhiyue)
To further improve the travel experience of tourists, the village increased investments to introduce more facilities and services, according to Li. "The Sea of Flowers" thus emerged as a comprehensive tourism complex, which integrates sightseeing, accommodation, dining, shopping and entertainment.
Thanks to years of dedicated efforts to enhance its ecology and infrastructure, Bianmagou has been designated as a national 4A-level scenic spot and has also been listed among China's demonstration villages for ecological civilization.
Liu Yongmei, an 43-year-old villager who runs an entertainment facility in the scenic area, told Xinhua that her business generates a monthly income of 3,000 yuan (about 420 U.S. dollars).
As her husband also works nearby, Liu's family now earns an annual income of about 80,000 yuan. "This figure is not a small sum for local families," she said.
Like Liu, more than half of the families in Bianmagou village now work in tourism. Since 2016, the scenic spot has received over 2 million visitors, generating total revenues of more than 50 million yuan.
The per capita disposable income of Bianmagou villagers increased from less than 1,800 yuan in 2018 to over 21,000 yuan in 2024, said Guo.
In addition to tourism, plateau villages in Qinghai have also ramped up efforts to develop various industries based on local conditions.
In Guoluozanggongma, a village in Shaliuhe Township of Gangcha County, young livestreamers are promoting specialty products produced by the village, including dried yak meat, highland barley wine and craft beer.
With an average altitude of over 3,300 meters, the village has traditionally relied on family-owned animal husbandry. In recent years, however, it has diversified its economy by developing industries suited to its local conditions, including livestock breeding, craft beer brewery, soilless cultivation, and the processing of livestock by-products.
However, due to the lack of sales channels, the village has not achieved satisfactory sales, said Sonam Tseten, Party secretary of the village.
Supported by the local government, the village built two livestreaming rooms last year and eight herders have since become professional livestreamers, enabling the online sales of local products through e-commerce channels.