Young Entrepreneurs Revitalize China's Far West through Tourism and Innovation

In China's far west, young entrepreneurs are reshaping the rhythm of the plateaus by opening cafes and homestays. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County saw over 8 million tourist visits since 2019, generating 5.5 billion yuan in revenue. The influx has created new livelihoods, such as a Tajik university graduate who converted her family's old house into a smart homestay. In Lhasa, a tourism boom has ignited fierce competition, with over 800 coffee shops serving a city of roughly 870,000 residents.