Visitors posing on the terraces also buy rice in the village because they can see that its fields are irrigated by mountain water, free of pollution, with wild snails in fields serving as a natural indicator of environmental quality, he said.

People can rent a piece of land to grow rice for about 360 yuan a year, and they can experience agricultural work such as transplanting and harvesting. Nearly 300 people rented terrace fields last year, Lin said.

In October, a cross-Straits wedding photo exhibition was held in the village, exhibiting forest wedding photos taken by photographers from Taiwan and the mainland.

The wedding industry brought more than 20,000 tourists to the village last year. This year, the Sanlou village plans to provide outdoor wedding services and improve its homestay accommodations, Lin said.

"Developments in the village have changed the villagers' minds, with many returning last year to repair their old houses," he said.