Village cashes in on ethnic culture.

Li Xiuliang, 64, runs a museum to preserve his Bouyei ethnic culture in Zhenshan Village of Huaxi County in Guizhou Province.

Actually, Li turned part of his home to the museum, which was opened on April 5 last year. There he displays ethnic garments and paintings of Bouyei folk customs.

"When tourists swarmed to our village in 1993, I came up with the idea to display folk customs, tales and costumes of Bouyei people to record our history and prevent the culture from disappearing," said Li, who spent over 10,000 yuan (US$1,204) collecting the items.

His entire village was turned into an ecological museum last year by a project funded by tNorway and China to protect ethnic villages.

Zhenshan was once a military fort in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and all buildings in the village are made of stone slates.

Li also runs a farmhouse restaurant in his home to add income and raise money for his museum.

Signboards reading "Bouyei Restaurant" can be seen all around the stone village. "Welcome to dine here," Li wrote in chalk on a wall.

Many villagers have also opened restaurants. One run by Li Shigui attracts the most tourists. "I can earn about 10,000 yuan every month," Li said. "We never imagined using private phones, VCD players or even mobile phones before we started taking advantage of tourism."

On the restaurant walls hang group photos Li Shigui took with famous singers who had dined there.

"We attract tourists with our ethnic culture, which becomes more treasured by us when visitors appreciate it," the village head said. "Our average annual income was about 500 yuan before 1993, but now it is more than five times that."

(eastday.com September 25, 2002)