The local authority has rolled out a plan to upgrade paddy and fish farming technology. It's aiming to develop a cultivation area of about 4,700 hectares over the next three years.

The goal is to increase per capita annual income by 1,000 yuan in the county.

Some villages have consolidated their farmland base and dug fishponds on the side.

"The advantage of this is that it can support ratoon cropping (pruning the part of the crop that sits above the waterline but leaving the roots intact, to encourage recovery and stronger yield the following season), prolonging the growth period of the fish," says Wu Xin, a village official.

"It ensures the quality of fish while promoting the stable yield of rice," he says.

The improved agricultural development has paved the way for tourism as Sanjiang county continues to integrate agriculture with its ethnic festivals.

"The benefit of planting alone was minimal, and many people were unwilling to plant, resulting in the serious problem of a lot of abandoned paddy fields," Wu Chengdong says.

"If we do a good job with the infrastructure of paddy fields, and combine aquaculture with tourism, we can not only solve the problems of land waste and food security, but also improve soil stratification and environmental sanitation," he says.