Jiuyuan farmers get rich from fishing, tourism

A farmer in Jiuyuan district holds a fish caught from a fishpond. [Photo/Baotou news network]

"We receive 300 to 500 visitors every weekend, there're not even enough tables for everyone to sit," said Lyu Guowei, a cook in Xinhe village in Jiuyuan.

According to Wang Jiaming, the first secretary of Xinhe village, the village is adjacent to the Yellow River Wetland's landscape road, has fertile soil and a beautiful environment, and is highly suited to the development of aquaculture, green planting and ecology tourism.

Before 2015, villagers of Xinhe mainly depended on farming to make a living, and earned little income. However, 32 fish restaurants have opened in the village since 2015, attracting nearly 200,000 people and generating revenue of 5 million yuan ($725,917) each year.

At the same time, Xinhe village has about 200 mu (13 hectares) of fish ponds, which provide an aquaculture income of up to 1 million yuan every year.

Wang said that next, Xinhe will set up a fishing industry association and register the Yellow River Erdao Bay regional brand to drive the sustainable and healthy development of all local fish restaurants and aquaculture farmers.

Xinhe village integrates the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, exploring the combination of characteristic breeding, fine processing and rural tourism.

It is reported that Jiuyuan produced 4,960 metric tons of aquatic products in 2022. At the same time, a specialized farmer cooperative in the district, successfully desalinated 20 million Pacific white shrimps and produced 80,000 kilograms of commercial shrimps, doubling the profit of traditional breeding projects.