Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Erhai Lake.
Xiang Yang pushed open the window of Muyun Tea House, and the sweet sea breeze came with the March sun. The family has lived by the beautiful Erhai Lake for many years, indulging in the flowery meadow, bathing in the sunshine and wind and rain, and accompanying the children to grow up day by day in the sweet sleep. Xiang Yang's face showed a smile, he ran a homestay inn in Dali in 2011, worked hard for more than ten years, not only harvested love, but also raised a lovely daughter.
Xiang Yang was born in 1992, is a native of Xinjin, 2009-2011 served in a military unit in Shanghai, after retiring from the army, contracted 350 acres of tea plantation in Dali, focusing on ecological black tea planting, step by step to grow into a national senior tea artist, national first-class tea master. But today, when my daughter reaches the age of studying, she will definitely go back to Xinjin. Xiangyang in Yunnan has also paid close attention to the development and changes of Xinjin, especially in recent years, it has introduced high-quality educational resources, and a large number of good schools and famous schools are at the doorstep. Xiangyang knows very well that Xinjin's educational resources are incomparable to Dali, and his daughter's learning and education must be in Xinjin. In addition, the age of his parents is also prompting him to return to his hometown as soon as possible.
The three brothers work together to replicate the scenery of Dali
What are you doing when you go back to Xinjin? This thought has been swirling in Xiang Yang's mind. He knows that Xinjin has made great achievements in rural revitalization and poverty alleviation in recent years, and Tianfu Agricultural Expo Park actively explores the "digital agricultural expo + rural revitalization" model, step by step to make the agricultural economy bigger and stronger, and gradually "live" the countryside. Xiang Yang decided to focus on the countryside after returning to his hometown!
Return to your hometown to start a business, do what you like, and integrate rural tourism and tea culture. Xiang Yang's idea coincides with his partner Zhang Qing, who is one year older than him and is also a native of Xinjin, committed to rural environmental transformation and environmental protection work, and the two are junior high school classmates with common interests and hobbies. In addition, Xiang Yang's comrade-in-arms in Shanghai, Luo Ruiyun, is also a hardcore partner, he lives in Wenjiang, is a calligraphy teacher, and his wife Zhang Xue is a tea artist, influenced by his wife, Luo Ruiyun also loves tea culture.
In order to find a favorite small courtyard and start the dream journey of the three brothers, Xiang Yang and Zhang Qing not only ran all over the corners of Xinjin, but also asked friends and intermediaries, but it was not a coincidence, there was no suitable place. "Our requirements are not very high, we just want to make a farmhouse yard with some characteristics, so that everyone can bask in the sun. Because I have been in Dali for more than ten years, my living habits have also been greatly affected. Xiang Yang walked all over Xinjin to look for the yard, but he was exhausted and a little retreated.
In fact, life is often like this: there is nowhere to find it when you step on iron shoes, and it takes no effort to get it. One day in May 2023, Xiang Yang and a few friends went to Anxi Town to eat fish head hot pot, passed by Xincao Village, and happened to see this private house: the courtyard is very dilapidated, located in the middle of a rice field, covering a large bamboo forest, and a large red iron gate locks the yard firmly. Xiang Yang's eyes lit up! He immediately concluded that there was no one living here and that he could rent it. He knows that the people of Anxi Town are simple and idyllic, and the tourism industry has developed by leaps and bounds in recent years, and he is more determined to invest and develop here.
With the help of the relevant person in charge of the local village committee, Xiang Yang, Zhang Qing, and Luo Ruiyun quickly got in touch with the landlord and successfully rented the yard. The three brothers were ambitious and immediately implemented the plan, but on the first day the workers entered the site, a large scoop of cold water poured down their heads: the roof was rotten, and the main structures such as beams and purlins were completely unusable, and if they were to be replaced completely, the budget would be greatly overrun. The three brothers had to bite the bullet and work as carpenters, masons, and bricklayers themselves, working day and night for three months, spending their main energy in this small courtyard.
In August 2023, the "Half Acre with Tea" courtyard unveiled its beautiful veil in everyone's expectations, with elegant courtyards, winding paths, and planted half an acre of new tea to bring a bit of leisure and elegance to the courtyard. Luo Ruiyun also used his calligraphy expertise to decorate the courtyard with a cultural atmosphere. The three brothers wiped the sweat on their foreheads, and the hard work finally yielded a harvest, and the carefully polished courtyard covers an area of 1.5 acres, with a construction area of 350 square meters. The team finally transformed the dilapidated courtyard into a poetic courtyard of "opening the noodle field and talking about wine and hemp", and you can fully feel the comfort and chic of "picking chrysanthemums under the east fence and leisurely seeing Nanshan". Although there is no mountain and water color of Cangshan and Erhai Lake, the idyllic scenery is also incomparable elsewhere, and in the sunny afternoon, you can find the feeling of Dali.
Promote tea culture and create rural tourism
The "Half Acre with Tea" courtyard has both a fashionable romantic atmosphere and a classical charm. The guests who have been here have the same feeling, here has the purity of the countryside: a flock of ducks playing in the water, cattle and sheep grazing, children playing, the tranquility of the countryside: the stream is still flowing, the birds are still flying, the flowers are quietly blooming, and the smoke is still rising; and more importantly, it has the taste of the countryside: the moon is bright and the water is clear, and the flowers are red and the sky is blue. According to statistics, since the National Day in 2023, the courtyard has received thousands of tourists and achieved a monthly turnover of more than 30,000 yuan.
"My daughter was born and grew up by the Erhai Lake, and there is a sense of depression in the urban community, in this small courtyard, the door is pushed to the large fields, and the air of the countryside is freely breathed, which is very good for the child's growth. Xiang Yang regards the small courtyard as his "work", and he is full of pride. "The best thing about this place is that it is quiet enough. My job is tea making, and it takes 1-3 days to make black tea, and the urban environment is not suitable, but this place just meets my needs. ”
After Xiangyang and his companions created the "Half Mu with Tea" rural tourism project, they have also been thinking, what should we do next?
"We need to do a lot of research activities, especially for the student group, to carry out the practical operation of tea picking and brewing, so that they can further understand tea and tea culture. Xiang Yang said that ten years ago, he came over like this, and now it is equivalent to renewing the relationship of Dali in the past ten years. When it comes to future planning, Xiang Yang said that the next step is to build a tea culture center that integrates tea knowledge, tea making, tea tasting, and gathering friends, so that every guest can deeply understand tea, fall in love with tea, and get a glimpse of the true meaning of life from the thousand-year-old tea culture.