Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Guo Ling) news: On the afternoon of September 11, 2025, an exceptionally tantalizing aroma wafted through the streets and alleys of Ayagemangan Village, Tuokezhake Town, Shufu County, Kashi Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Even before reaching the courtyard gate of Abudukeyoumu Rouzi's home, the scent of roast whole lamb drifted out along the courtyard wall, enticing passersby to involuntarily slow their steps and follow the fragrance with their eyes.

Upon entering Abudukeyoumu's home, the vibrancy of daily life greeted one immediately. The front yard features a pavilion and a grape trellis, with branches and leaves providing cool shade, while the backyard is even more overflowing with life, with clean and tidy cattle and sheep pens. The greenhouse is filled with lively flowers and plants, agricultural machinery is neatly parked. And there is also an orchard, but the most eye-catching feature is the newly built pit for roasting whole lamb.

Photo shows Abudukeyoumu and his freshly roasted whole lamb. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Guo Ling)

Eleven years ago, Abudukeyoumu's family of three mainly relied on him driving a tractor to plow fields and harvest crops for others to make a living, with an annual income of just over 10,000 yuan (about 1,404.91 U.S. dollars). "Back then, being a 10,000-yuan household was quite something in the village," Abudukeyoumu said.

Today, this courtyard still bears the marks of the family's aspirations for and struggles toward a better life everywhere. Roughly estimated, Abudukeyoumu can earn 130,000 yuan (about 18,263.83 U.S. dollars) a year just from developing his courtyard economy. In the courtyard, every area contributes to the family's income.

Abudukeyoumu and his wife often go to the neighboring county to purchase fruit tree saplings and flower seeds in bulk. They then meticulously cultivate various types of seedlings, including hydrangeas, bougainvilleas, fig saplings, and pomegranate saplings, in their own greenhouse, generating an additional annual income of 30,000 yuan (about 4,214.73 U.S. dollars). "Nowadays, more and more people are taking up gardening, so we promptly update the varieties we grow to meet everyone's demands," he said. Today, the couple has become highly skilled in cultivation techniques, and villagers frequently make special trips to their greenhouse to seek advice on planting. In response, they regularly hold training sessions inside the greenhouse.

There are nearly 50 cattle and sheep in the pen. "I've sold 17 cows for 230,000 yuan (about 32,312.93 U.S. dollars). Next, I plan to buy more calves and continue to expand my livestock farming. I'm also thinking of setting up a few tables and benches in the courtyard, putting up a sunshade, and opening a farmhouse restaurant so that everyone can taste the lamb I roast!" Abudukeyoumu strolled around the courtyard, introducing his plans with great enthusiasm. In the orchard nearby, heavy figs and peaches hung from the branches, already ripe and ready. Looking at the fruit-laden trees, Abudukeyoumu smiled and waved his hand, saying, "These aren't for sale. I planted them for everyone to enjoy."

Ayagemangan Village is a national key village for rural tourism, and nowadays, an increasing number of tourists are visiting the village, with many coming specifically to tour Abudukeyoumu's home. To make it easier for everyone to find the place, he hung a sign above the gate that prominently reads "Abudukeyoumu's Home"—simple yet welcoming.

In a corner of the courtyard, Abudukeyoumu specially spent over 10,000 yuan to build an impressive row of roast pits, with the largest one capable of roasting an entire camel. His roast whole lamb business has become increasingly prosperous, receiving roughly 100 orders per month. During holidays, he sometimes has to rush to prepare 30 lambs in a single day.

"When I make roast whole lamb, I film the process, and my friend helps me edit the videos and post them online. That's how I started getting more orders. I can now earn around 5,000 yuan (about 702.46 U.S. dollars) a month." What surprised Abudukeyoumu even more was that, apart from customers, many people reached out to him after watching the videos, coming to learn the skill of roasting whole lamb from him.

Ma Baotong, who runs a catering business in Lanzhou City of northwest China's Gansu Province, is one of Abudukeyoumu's disciples. To master the technique of roasting whole lamb, he spent a full two months learning at Abudukeyoumu's home. Now, Ma has successfully completed his training and returned to Lanzhou City, planning to add roast whole lamb as a signature dish to his restaurant menu. He had already conducted trials beforehand, and based on customer feedback, the new dish proved to be very popular.

"Abudukeyoumu doesn't just teach the techniques and then leave it at that. Whenever I encounter problems later on or can't find certain ingredients or tools, he always goes out of his way to help me. He's incredibly enthusiastic," Ma Baotong said.

Not only has Abudukeyoumu made his own family prosperous, but he has also taken on the responsibility of driving the village's development. As a committee member of the general Party branch of the village, he takes the lead in organizing technical sharing sessions, and teaches his fellow villagers his skills in planting, livestock farming, and roasting whole lamb without reservation. Additionally, he helps them connect with sales channels and resolve production challenges, leading everyone together in exploring ways to increase their incomes.

In this village, where there is less than one mu (about 0.067 hectares) of arable land per capita, the villagers have embarked on a diversified path to prosperity through their diligence and wisdom. Thus, the per capita income has surged from 4,700 yuan (about 660.31 U.S. dollars) in 2014 to 20,638.33 yuan (about 2,899.50 U.S. dollars) in 2024.

Now, the village not only boasts eight professional cooperatives but has also seen the emergence of workshops, such as "Butcher's Home," ethnic musical instrument workshop, and century-old naan workshop, as well as over 300 rural inns, homestays, supermarkets, and restaurants. Seedling greenhouses, cattle and sheep breeding zones, an entrepreneurship and employment incubation base, and a distinctive flat peach orchard have also been established one after another. More and more villagers can now find work and earn money right at their doorstep. Just like Abudukeyoumu's family, the entire village is brimming with vitality and energy, and life is getting better and better.

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