Scenic spot

Meanwhile, some 50 kilometers from Fushan, Shicha village has found prosperity by cultivating a plant that thrives on volcanic rocks.

Located at the foot of a volcano, the village has developed dendrobium, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. It has also promoted tourism by transforming the conservation center for the product into a scenic spot. As a result, annual per capita income in Shicha rose from 3,600 yuan in 2013 to 24,000 yuan last year, according to Hong Yiqian, head of the village committee.

"I was annoyed with the state of our land and by a water shortage, but after learning in 2015 that such conditions were good for growing dendrobium plants, the village and people's lives changed," Hong said.

Just over 53 hectares of land is used in Shicha to grow the plants, which have resulted in more than 200 villagers finding jobs and prompted other agricultural cultivation, he added.

In 2015, Zhou Xian, a 38-year-old mother of three, quit her job as a saleswoman in Haikou, capital of Hainan, and returned to the village-her hometown-to become a security guard at the conservation center.

In Haikou, she earned 1,800 yuan a month working in a shop, but she said that commuting by bus, which took her more than two hours a day, was exhausting.

Now, Zhou walks to the center every day and earns as much as 2,650 yuan per month. "Life has become easier. I can save on commuting time to be with my family," she said.