"Visitors appreciate the unique ethnic customs. Dong tea, suancai and sour pork – these dishes let visitors experience the tastes of Dong cuisine, which is an important link in the tourism-consumption poverty-alleviation industry chain," says Long. "In recent years, Sanjiang county has created good economic benefits while inheriting traditional ethnic nationality culture, combining ethnic culture with tourism and opening up a new way of cultural tourism to enrich the local people."

Long tells me that the government has taken a four-pronged approach to developing tourism, which includes increasing investment in tourism infrastructure, media promotion of Sanjiang's tourism brand and incentive policies to attract visitors and reward travel agencies, among other initiatives.

Local authorities have also committed to using technology to attract more visitors to Sanjiang Dong autonomous county, having launched a tourism-focused WeChat Mini Program in October 2019.

Using the platform, which was built following the 'Internet + Travel Service' development philosophy, travelers can learn about the area's shopping and entertainment options, book tours, reserve a hotel room and secure transportation. Users can also file complaints using the mini-program or request service help. Think of the application as a hyper-localized version of Trip.com.

"You can learn about Sanjiang's food, accommodation options, transportation facilities, attractions and shopping and entertainment amenities through this app. Travelers can realize that a mobile phone will help you experience Sanjiang county in a smart way," Long tells me, before adding that the WeChat Mini Program has been a significant player in local poverty alleviation efforts.

"Through the 'One Mobile Phone Tour of Three Rivers' project, Sanjiang helps the impoverished people of the Chengyangqiao Scenic Area, Buyang Tea Mountain Scenic Area, Danzhou Scenic Area and other scenic areas to lift themselves out of poverty. From January to August 2020, the county received a total of 3.88 million tourists, achieving total tourism revenue of 4.04 billion yuan."