Village resort charming guests with ethnic culture

In southwestern Sichuan province, Casasa Village Resort lies in a forest on the Xiaoliang Mountain and features traditional Yi ethnic culture as its soul.

The resort is located in Fulai village, Mabian Yi autonomous county, Leshan city. The ancient village is home to the Yi ethnic group and the ethnic majority Han people. Its name, Casasa, means "thank you" in the Yi language.

Following the principle of reconstruction, the resort has used traditional materials and craftsmanship, and retained the original appearance of old buildings as much as possible.

It currently has seven courtyard houses, with sizes ranging from two to four bedrooms. Each has different features and is managed by a local villager, who has been trained to handle cleaning, maintenance and guest services, such as dining and reception.

These managers are well-versed in the Yi ethnic culture and can share stories with guests.

Casasa also boasts four tree houses built on the mountainside, each with a private terrace either facing the distant mountains or nestled within lush bamboo groves. Inside, the three floor-to-ceiling windows provide expansive views of the surrounding plants and trees.

Additionally, a red building amid tea fields serves as a visitor center. It serves as a place to read books and drink tea, as a multifunctional hall, a sightseeing stand, a movie theater and a place to host cultural lectures and book-sharing sessions.

The restaurant is located at the heart of the resort and can seat up to 60 diners at a time. At night, it transforms into a minibar where guests can drink and relax.

Casasa enjoys rich natural and historical resources in its surrounding areas. Beyond the mysterious and ancient Yi ethnic customs, there are many novel experiences to explore.

For example, Mabian county boasts vast high-altitude tea fields, as well as tea factories and handmade tea workshops. Visitors can experience tea picking, making, tasting and tea art performances.

In the northern part of Mabian, Yangtianwo, which is 1,600 meters above sea level, is an alpine pasture featuring picturesque scenery throughout the year. It has herds of cattle and sheep eating grass in spring and summer, and a gloriously colorful maple forest in autumn and winter.

Stargazing is one of the favorite activities among visitors. Located at an altitude of 900 meters, Casasa offers night skies free from light pollution or obstruction by high-rise buildings.

In 2002, Mabian was included as a key county for national poverty alleviation and development. Mabian and China Tourism Group Investment Management jointly developed the Casasa Rural Resort project in 2019.

On its opening day on Oct 1, 2021, the resort achieved 100 percent occupancy, hosting more than 300 guests from Chengdu and Leshan cities. Over the past two years, Casasa has received several honors and become a popular tourist destination in Leshan and nearby areas.

While creating a unique minsu (Chinese-style bed-and-breakfast), the resort proactively explores a win-win model between the project and local village. Measures include introducing new business formats to promote the integration of culture, tourism and agriculture, and to transform the surplus rural labor force into skilled workers via training.

During the project's construction and development, it has provided nearly 5,000 job positions to local villagers, bringing in more than 1 million yuan ($138,048) in wages. After opening, the resort has recruited about 30 villagers.

Moreover, Casasa has worked alongside village cooperatives to increase local people's sales income for vegetables, meat and other raw materials.