Xienglom Village in Luang Prabang, Laos, and Dazhai Village in Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County, Guangxi, China, are separated by thousands of miles. Both villages have struggled with poverty in the past, but now, thanks to the East Asia Poverty Reduction Cooperation Pilot Project, they have become friendly villages.
Similar experiences and a shared goal to boost the village economy through tourism have brought the villagers closer together. Through exchange, empathy, discussion, and mutual support, the two villages are working together to brainstorm ideas via the internet, exploring directions for homestay development, and striving to overcome poverty.
