The guesthouses and small courtyards, built with white walls and gray tiles, are dotted inside the ridges and mountains, which look more elegant and refined against the backdrop of the green hills and verdant forests. Inside the courtyard, the bluestone-paved road leads to the guest rooms with the lingering archaic charms. The fresh vegetables are planted in vegetable plots of the backyard. Outside the courtyard, the vegetable plots are brimming with verdant style everywhere, while old houses row upon row are being renovated through face-lifting one after another…
This guesthouse hub originated from the new mode of precise poverty alleviation launched by municipal-level state-owned enterprises in Beijing in May 2018, namely “One Enterprise Aids One Village”. 51 municipal-level state-owned enterprises signed pairing assistance agreements with 54 low-income village. Among them, BSAM gives pairing assistance to Liangjiazhuang Village, Qingshui Town, Mentougou District.
Despite picturesque scenery, this small village is actually a low-income village known far and wide. After pairing assistance for only one year, Liangjiazhuang Village has recently “said goodbye to” the long-standing image of low-income village. 82 low-income households and 137 low-income persons have stably said goodbye to low income. The emerging high-end guesthouse industry in Liangjiazhuang Village is helping all villagers embark on the road to happiness.
17 guesthouses are open for business in August
Beijing City is now in the height of summer. But the pleasantly cool mountain breeze is blowing in Liangjiazhuang Village, which is located in remote mountain. Walking into the courtyards of guesthouse transformed from idle old houses, people can listen to the melodious sound of wind-bells. Three housekeepers are busy cleaning up every corner of the courtyard.
“The two courtyards, which have been in operation for more than two months, gain ‘online popularity’. No vacancy is even available on weekends and holidays!” Li Jianjun, leader of Liangjiazhuang Village Pairing Assistance Project, who is dispatch by Beijing Science and Technology Park Construction (Group) Co., Ltd (a subsidiary of BSAM), has worked for one year. With tanned skin, Li Jianjun excitedly tells the story behind the courtyards to the guests.
The sunlight penetrates through the large French doors and windows. Room layout is elegant and comfortable. Classical and simple Chinese-style furniture is displayed in the spacious kitchen and living room. Both guesthouses take on poetic names, respectively: One is called “Guan Lan Shan Ju”, and the other is called “Qi Yin Shan Fang”.
In other parts of the village, the renovation work of the 15 courtyards at Phase I of Guesthouse Project, constructed and operated by Beijing Science and Technology Park Construction (Group) Co., Ltd, has come to an end. These 17 guesthouses will be put into trial operation as a whole in August, driving stable employment of 19 local villagers and constantly increasing their income.
“I don’t have to migrate to pick up odd jobs anymore. Now I take a stable full-time job in my village!” Zhang Jianmei, a 42-year-old villager, is one of these 19 beneficiaries. When it comes to her new identity as a “housekeeper”, she happily smiles and nods: “I can earn one or two thousand yuan every month, which doubles compared with that in the past. I can take better care of my family and have money earmarked for educational expenses of the children”.
After professional training, she and the other two housekeepers not only learn the various foldup methods of bedding, but also will receive some apprentices and stimulate more villagers to stably say goodbye to low income. Products planted by the villagers, such as Nanguo Pear, Ecological Vegetable, High Mountain Tea and High Mountain Asparagus, will also be displayed for sale in the guesthouses. In this way, villagers enjoy new income streams for becoming wealthy.
More than one year ago, there was no agritainment operator in the village, let alone such a high-end guesthouse. Although adjacency to such scenic spots as Longmenjian Scenic Spot and Lingshan Mountain Scenic Spot, Liangjiazhuang Village still remained unknown with few tourists.
As soon as it is assigned with the task of pairing assistance for Liangjiazhuang Village, the project team of Beijing Science and Technology Park Construction (Group) Co., Ltd immediately enters the village. However, team members feel quite confused about what they see and hear: In the past, the village economy mainly relied on coal mining. In recent years, regional economy and industries have undergone transformation and upgrading so that coal mines are closed down, and breeding industry is no longer pursued. The economic income of villagers has sharply declined. Young people have swarmed to work in the cities. What industries can the village develop?
After in-depth field surveys, the new idea of assistance consolidates everyone’s confidence: It is necessary to follow the guidance of party building, devote to industry assistance, employment assistance, cultural assistance, financial assistance and brand assistance as the core, help the villagers say goodbye to low income, and promote the development of agriculture and forestry through guesthouse industry.
Sincere attitude over assistance is a prerequisite for any state-owned enterprise to give assistance. It is understood that from 2018 to 2020, BSAM plans to donate a total of RMB4 million to Liangjiazhuang Village through Beijing Charity Association and Beijing Women and Children Development Foundation. Under the leadership of BSAM, Beijing Science and Technology Park Construction (Group) Co., Ltd and Liangjiazhuang Village Collective Economic Organization have signed a project cooperation agreement for the comprehensive development and operation of high-end guesthouses in the village, under which the village collective holds 51% stake in the operating results. It is unneeded for the village and the villagers to make capital investment. Instead, Beijing Science and Technology Park Construction (Group) Co., Ltd is wholly responsible for the development, operation and financing of guesthouse industry.
For the purpose of better assistance effects, Beijing Science and Technology Park Construction (Group) Co., Ltd specially injects capital to establish a platform company dedicated to pairing assistance: Beijing Liangjiazhuang Chuangyi Rural Residential Culture Co., Ltd. Phase I of Guesthouse Project has obtained the right to use and operate for 20 years. Idle rural houses have become a new “cash cow” for the villagers: Not only more than 90 villagers find jobs, but also “the whole family says goodbye to low income after a family member obtains employment” comes true.
For the purpose of better assistance effects, Beijing Science and Technology Park Construction (Group) Co., Ltd specially injects capital to establish a platform company dedicated to pairing assistance: Beijing Liangjiazhuang Chuangyi Rural Residential Culture Co., Ltd. Phase I of Guesthouse Project has obtained the right to use and operate for 20 years. Idle rural houses have become a new “cash cow” for the villagers: Not only more than 90 villagers find jobs, but also “the whole family says goodbye to low income after a family member obtains employment” comes true.
It is reported that Party Member Activity Demonstration Center will become a communication platform for pairing assistance in Mentougou District, import the cutting-edge concepts and experience of party building work of municipal-level state-owned entities into the village, and enhance the villagers’ operation and management capabilities and their confidence in saying goodbye to low income getting wealthy.
This dreary village is finally awakened to take a new look. Currently, Liangjiazhuang Village bursts into full of new vitality. After stably saying goodbye to low income, the villagers will embark on a broader road to wealth.
