Shufu County in south Xinjiang's Kashgar Prefecture used to be a poor county with limited means of boosting the local economy.

AbduKeyum Rozi from Ayagemangan Village of Tokkuzak Township has witnessed remarkable changes in recent years.

"In 2014, I only had eight sheep and a pregnant cow. I kept a few of them to eat, and sold the rest for money," said Rozi.

Due to the lack of cultivated land in the local area, the village began to encourage villagers to make full use of their courtyards.

Rozi decided to have a try.

He not only expanded the livestock shed, but also set up a pergola in the open space in the yard to plant flowers.

Over the years, his life has changed greatly.

"Now my annual income is 100,000 to 110,000 yuan (15,500 to 17,050 U.S. dollars)," said Rozi.

By the end of 2016, all 247 poor households in Ayagemangan Village had been lifted out of poverty.

The annual per capita income of the whole village has increased from more than 2,000 yuan (310 U.S. dollars) in 2014 to more than 10,000 yuan (1,550 U.S. dollars) in 2020.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service