Tourism industry helps Xingwen county in SW China out of poverty

Staff members dressed in ethnic costumes toast tourists at Xingwen UNESCO Global Geopark in Xingwen County of Yibin, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Oct. 14, 2018. Over the years, tourism has been established by Xingwen County as the leading industry in promoting accurate poverty alleviation and regional economic development. Home to a number of ethnic groups, the county boasts multiple state and provincial-level intangible cultural heritages. In the first three quarters of 2018, the county has had a tourism revenue of 7.6 billion yuan (1.1 billion U.S. dollars), helping 37,500 residents out of poverty.(Xinhua/Song Zhenping) (sxk)