Yunnan village prospers, naturally

Wang used to work in another city nearby, but returned to his hometown as the family was short of workers after his father injured his hand. He decided to stay in the village to participate in the beekeeping project.

"Young people need to do something meaningful and learn about new things. All the experiences will turn into good stories to tell their children in the future," Wang says.

Wang plans to try to sell the collected honey through online platforms himself, such as Taobao and Douyin, and make videos to show people how beautiful the village is, the story of the beekeeping project, and the importance of elephant conservation.

Since the beekeeping project began in 2020, it has increased the income of participants by nearly 90,000 yuan in total. The average household income will also continue to increase in the future as villagers' farming skills improve.

The beekeeping project is not the only one active in the village. Another, named Carbon Reduction Estate, was introduced in August 2021 with the support of Swire Coca-Cola (China) Co Ltd.