Yunzhu Lake is a major tourist destination in the county of Yushe. [Photo by Li Shu for China Daily]

Liu Feng, a resident of Pianliang village in Shanxi's Yushe county, said it is fortunate to live by a picturesque lake.

The lake he is referring to is Yunzhu, a large reservoir in the southwest of Yushe, which was created in the early 1960s.

Covering 1,416 hectares, and boasting four wetland parks and more than 30 scenic attractions, Yunzhu Lake is one of the top tourist destinations in the county.

Liu operates a bed-and-breakfast business in his village. Thanks to growing numbers of tourists, the business generated an annual net income of more than 100,000 yuan ($14,890) for his family in recent years.

"Yunzhu was not a tourist destination at the beginning," Liu said. "It became one several years ago after the county government invested nearly 1 billion yuan in local environmental improvements and landscaping."

He said there are hundreds of people involved in the tourism industry after the lake and its vicinity became a tourist destination.

According to an official at the county government of Yushe, the government's investment in Yunzhu Lake targets both improving the environment and creating business and job opportunities for locals.

He said the government is adopting a comprehensive approach for its development, especially in the areas of poverty alleviation and rural vitalization.

Another example of the comprehensive approach is a poverty alleviation relocation program that started several years ago. Nearly 10,000 residents who used to live in landlocked, mountainous areas have been relocated to new settlements with better living conditions and more job and business opportunities.

The family of Li Yanxia, who used to live in the mountainous village of Beizaolin, for instance, was relocated to a new settlement in the county seat in 2019.

After the relocation, Li said what makes her happy is not only her comfortable and spacious new house, but the easy availability of jobs.

An industrial park for the purpose of poverty alleviation has been established in the vicinity of her new settlement. She is now working at a garment factory, with a monthly salary of more than 2,500 yuan.

According to the county's rural revitalization administration, the government has invested a total of 27.75 million yuan in developing industrial facilities for poverty alleviation. With a growing number of businesses, relocated residents can be more easily employed in their neighborhoods.

Modern farming is another major source of employment and revenue for local residents.

In Xima village, for instance, there are more than 170 greenhouses for growing vegetables and fruit.

"The greenhouses have offered jobs to 91 households, constituting the largest source of revenue in Xima," said Zhang Shuai, Party secretary of the village.

Wu Jia contributed to this story.