In the past, they could earn around 30,000 yuan a year. But now they earn about 100,000 yuan a year, enjoy a better environment and have time to be with their families.

"More clubs, bookstores and cafes will be opening in the near future," said Xu Ji, a member of the village committee. "Tourists may also appreciate the fireflies, watch light shows and buy agricultural products."

The village is one of many in Jiangsu province that have made the most of their advantages to make a better life. For example, in the Ganyu district of Lianyungang, many fishermen have become millionaires by selling seafood through livestreaming. And in Shuyang, in Suqian, many farmers have made a fortune by selling plants online.

Wang Guangming, a farmer in the Guzhuang community in Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, now earns about 1.5 million yuan to 2 million yuan a year growing bonsai trees.

He said a bonsai pine tree that is about the height of an adult can sell for more than 100,000 yuan. He lives in a villa with a garden full of the bonsai trees he grows.

Nearly 2,000 people in the community grow bonsai trees to make a living. The community attracted nearly 2 million visitors last year, and revenue generated from tourism stood at 250 million yuan.

In Rugao, about 100,000 farmers work in the bonsai industry, which also provides jobs for more than 200,000 farmers in other parts of China. A worker experienced in growing bonsai trees can earn 2,000 to 3,000 yuan a day during peak seasons.

Chen Ninghua, deputy manager of the city's Flowers and Trees World Holding Co, said that apart from large, expensive bonsai trees, the company has also developed miniature bonsai trees, which are about the size of an adult's hand.

"The city will finish constructing a high-end horticulture market by December," she said. "It will contain an exhibition center that shows customers how bonsai trees can improve their living environment in gardens, bedrooms and living rooms."