An Austrian man, Armin Schober, sits in the courtyard of his homestay in Tachuan Village in Anhui Province, China, gazing at the mist-shrouded mountains in the distance. He runs the homestay, “Alina’s Garden,” with his Chinese wife, Huang Qiong, as they work to develop the tourism industry in the area.
Tachuan Village, located at the foot of Huangshan Mountain, is known for its stunning autumn views that attract painters and photographers. Like many villages near Huangshan, it has not fully benefitted from the tourism industry. Armin Schober is among those working to change that.
The couple initially started “Alina’s Garden” with the goal of finding a natural environment for their daughter, Alina, after she turned three. They wanted her to grow up in a free and natural environment, much like Armin did in his childhood in the Alps.
After initially planning to move back to Europe from Shenzhen, where Huang ran a company, they traveled to Tachuan Village in 2021. They were enchanted by the natural beauty and decided to start a homestay business there despite the challenges of moving from a city to a rural area.
They made significant efforts to transform an ancient house in Tachuan Village into “Alina’s Garden,” blending Hui architecture with European elements. The homestay now serves European dishes and Chinese couplets during the Spring Festival.
Their business has been successful, allowing them to welcome guests from all over the world. They have also opened a coffee and pizza shop in a nearby village, Hongcun, and continue to explore new business ventures in the area.
The growth of their business is part of a larger trend in the region, with more and more homestays and businesses flourishing around Huangshan Mountain. In 2022, the city of Huangshan had over 3,100 homestays that received more than 3.3 million tourists, generating an output value of 6.5 billion yuan.
The homestay industry has not only improved the economic situation in these rural areas but has also attracted people, capital, and information to flow into villages and inspired entrepreneurs to establish businesses in these areas, according to the mayor of Huangshan, He Yi.
Schober is optimistic about the future and hopes to make more investments and explore different business ventures in the region. As they continue to work on “Alina’s Garden,” they see a promising outlook for the area.
