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Russian-style family hotels bring prosperity to border town

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2020-08-15 15:28:13chinadaily.com.cn Editor : Li Yan ECNS App Download
The traditional Russian-style interior of Qu's family hotel in Enhe, at Ergune, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Aug 4, 2020. (Photo/chinadaily.com.cn)

The traditional Russian-style interior of Qu's family hotel in Enhe, at Ergune, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Aug 4, 2020. (Photo/chinadaily.com.cn)

Special: Poverty Alleviation

Enhe, a nationality township that borders Russia for 75 kilometers at Ergune, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has seen its traditional homestay business flourish for nearly 15 years, offering local residents of the Russian minority group a way to prosper.

Qu Dexin, 70, and his son Qu Bo have been managing the Vasily Family Hotel since 2006, with 32 guest rooms and a total construction area of over 2,000 square meters.

Around 100 years ago, Qu Dexin's grandfather from Hebei province traveled to the border city of Manzhouli, and then moved to Russia in seek of better work opportunities. After getting married to a Russian woman, they moved back to China and settled down in Enhe, a border town in North China.

Over 1,000 locals, like Qu, have similar family stories as Chinese-Russian descendants, and live typical Siberian lifestyles. To take advantage of the special ethnic culture, the Enhe government encouraged those with Russian heritage to develop tourism starting around 2006.

Up to now, more than 80 percent of the locals in Enhe are involved in the homestay business, with over 100 hotels in operation. "My family's income witnessed a significant increase in recent years, earning 400,000 to 500,000 yuan annually. Small hotel managers can also earn about 100,000 yuan on average," said Qu Bo.

Although the COVID-19 outbreak has dealt a blow to Enhe's tourism industry, Qu Bo sought to sell local produce, such as Russian black breads and blueberry jam via e-commerce platforms. As the epidemic comes under controlled and national economy rebounds, he still has a positive outlook for business in the following year.

 

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