Raising snakes has not only given Zhou Wenqian, 35, comfort and peace of mind, but also changed the course of her life.

Dubbed the "Queen of Snake-Raising" in Dalu village, Lingshan county in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Zhou has found success with raising snakes since 2006. It is a major industry in the county, where about 1.7 million snakes are raised.

The impoverished village is Zhou's hometown. She runs a wildly successful snake-raising farm in Lingshan, where she not only raises the scaly reptiles, but also teaches snake-raising skills to people from across China hoping to break into the ophidian industry.