Liulin village in Shaanxi province is harnessing its natural gifts to fuel local industry growth and provide the area's residents with a better life, Yang Feiyue reports.

Local villagers put trackers on a crested ibis in Liulin village. (SHI TONGGANG / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Walking along the mountain path of Liulin village, one can often spot a touch of light red that flits through the woods and across the sky.

It is a special local bird, the crested ibis, the sight of which has been widely considered auspicious, as the bird is believed to be a harbinger of good fortune.

Once on the verge of extinction, the birds are now becoming a common sight in Liulin that is tucked away in the mountainous area in the south of Yaozhou district, Tongchuan city of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, thanks to the ecological preservation and restoration efforts of local authorities over the past decade.

The village has clear waters, open wetlands and plenty of lofty trees that are ideal places for the crested ibis to nest.

Initially, the only worry for scientists was whether the cold winter, with the rivers frozen over, would result in a shortage of food for the birds.

In April 2013, scientists built a facility especially to train the crested ibises that had been bred in captivity to get accustomed to living in the wild in Tongchuan. Three months later, 32 were released into the forestry station in Liulin, followed by 30 more in 2015.

With persistent efforts of local villagers, who have assumed the role of guardians of the ibises, these precious birds have endured the chilly winter, and their population has since been on the rise.

The project has not only improved ecological conditions in the area, but also created job opportunities for residents.

A close-up of the bird. (SHI TONGGANG / FOR CHINA DAILY)

In 2016, the Yaozhou district forest bureau hired 16 villagers from impoverished families. Luo Jianli was one of them.

For the past six years, the 59-year-old has been rising with the lark every morning.

He first cleans and sterilizes the activity zones for the crested ibises, before preparing a basket of worms and spreading them over the verdant grasslands. Flocks of the birds then descend to enjoy their breakfast.

"They love oriental weatherfish and flour beetle," Luo says, adding that he also feeds them a second time in the afternoon.

"Crested ibises are afraid of humans, but they don't fear me, because I have fed them for a very long time," he says with pride.

In addition to the feeding, Luo also keeps tabs on the activities of the birds. From March to June, Luo and his colleagues check their nests and ensure that their mating isn't disrupted by any human interference.

"We also wrap smooth plastic paper around the trunks and tree branches to stop possible snake attacks," Luo explains.

"Safety nets have also been set up under the trees in case the fledglings fall."

Although the job is labor-intensive, Luo and his colleagues take delight in their meticulous and thorough work.

Crested ibises are spotted feeding in the woods. (SHI TONGGANG / FOR CHINA DAILY)

They not only receive a stable income, but also enjoy the company of their feathered friends.

"It would feel like something is missing if I don't go out to see the birds," Luo says.

The harmonious coexistence of locals, birds and nature has helped to attract travelers in droves, which brings more opportunities for the development of the village.

Liulin used to be the southern gate of a revolutionary base in the border area between Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Complex geological conditions featuring primitive mountains and ravines cut it off from the outside world, leaving its infrastructure largely underdeveloped.

Apart from the improved environmental conditions, the village has also witnessed progress in local industries, increasing the personal income of residents.

Lu Ji, who went from Beijing to Liulin to be the first secretary of the village at the beginning of 2020, was faced with the dilemma of how to develop industries that could bring about wealth while retaining local ecological integrity.

He was sent by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee to help with the village's development.

"The choice of industrial development was very limited," Lu says.

After field research, he was acutely aware of the potential in the existing local mushroom plantation.

Liulin was the first to grow mushrooms in Miaowan town of Yaozhou. The local climate is ideal for it, but the obsolete plantation facilities and unreliable sales channels were in need of improvement.

A local villager processes peach pits at a community plant in Liulin village in Tongchuan city, Shaanxi province. (CHEN QIANG / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Lu worked with the villagers to expand the number of mushroom growing sheds from 55 to 90 and to build 22 fungus cultivation houses.

He also played a positive role in upgrading mushroom storage and processing, and strived to have the products sold abroad.

Cui Zhanfeng has witnessed significant changes in the development of the sector since 2017, when he quit his well-paid city job and returned to Liulin to start up a mushroom growing business.

"The village has vigorously developed the mushroom industry for poverty alleviation," Cui says.

"The planting scale has been expanded through the transfer of land use rights, improving facilities, and inviting experts and professors for training and guidance."

To date, the mushroom industry has created more than 60 job opportunities for locals, raising their annual income from about 7,000 yuan ($974) to 12,000 yuan, according to Lu.

Lu has also managed to put the village's mushrooms on the map by having media outlets and online celebrities promote their charms at local plantations.

Liulin's mushroom industry also spilled over into neighboring villages in Miaowan town, and, altogether, they produce 6 million kilograms of mushrooms a year, with some making their way to overseas market, including South Korea and the United States.

"Our life is getting better on the strength of the mushroom industry," Cui says.

To find more ways of increasing village income, local authorities have also focused on promoting wild peach pit craftsmanship.

A villager harvests mushrooms in Yaozhou district. (SHI TONGGANG / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Every spring, peach trees that are spread over the mountain are the first to blossom. After six months of growth, the fruits fall to the ground and villagers pick them up and leave them to dry for up to three months. The pits of these peaches are used to make handicrafts of various shapes and sizes.

Zuo Linbin took the bold step of launching a peach pit-processing business back in 2016 and has enjoyed the taste of success.

"People placed orders online and offline," Zuo says.

In 2018, he set up a cooperative with four local households and led more than 30 villagers to tap into the local resource.

Seeing the peach pit-processing business take shape, Lu came up with the idea of publicizing the craftsmanship at high-speed rail stations and having products sold on the trains.

It has greatly raised the profile of local mountain peach-pit handicrafts and broadened sales channels for the products.

To date, pillows, cushions and slippers made of peach pits are being sold from Liulin village to all parts of the country.

Cui Zhen'an is content that he gets to make a living on his doorstep.

He is physically challenged, which used to keep him from engaging in arduous work. Now, the pit-processing helps him to make ends meet.

"I also get dividends from the industry, as well as food and minimum social security benefits," he says.

Zuo is glad to see that the pit-processing industry has enabled villagers to obtain an income through their own labor without having to travel far away.

To spice up village life, local authorities have also staged reading and technical training sessions.

"We'd like to create some active and confident ethos around the village," Lu says.

Contact the writer at yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn