A walk in the clouds

Shi was one of them.

"You hardly saw young people here. Now, they are coming back," she says.

Eighteen kilometers away lies Shibadong village — where a national poverty alleviation campaign was first articulated in 2013. Improved transportation has brought a steady stream of visitors eager to experience local culture and crafts.

Among them is Miao embroidery, a traditional skill now finding new markets.