For Wushouer, though her Putonghua is poor, the language barrier is not a problem.
"I can understand what they say. And I can speak a little myself. Also many tourists come here with translators. So this isn't a problem," she told the Global Times.
Alim, 47, living along the same road as Wushouer, tasted "the fruits of tourism" years ago when he opened a canteen in a place with plenty of tourists.
Seeing that Alim made a profit in the canteen, his landlord later took it over, leaving him no choice but to return home.
According to Alim, his family income has increased by more than 50 percent annually over the last few years, for which he credits tourism.
In his house, tourists can taste local foods and buy souvenirs and fruits.
On the day he was interviewed by the Global Times, the village management committee was inspecting his house before deciding whether or not they will help him provide accommodation to tourists
As there are still idle rooms in Alim's house, the committee officials taught him how to decorate them and how to make the rooms suitable for city dwellers.
When he was told that his small bed and breakfast business is expected to open soon, he told the Global Times that his hope is "we can make our living entirely on tourism in the future, if more people come."
Bright future
According to Wushouer and Alim, the local government helps bring customers to their houses.
Wushouer said that during last April's Apricot Blossom Festival more than 100 tourists brought by the local government flooded to her house every day.
"Many people who have been to my house and tasted my food told me that they would come again this year. I was expecting them to come, but they didn't come. I think they may have gotten lost trying to find my house. The house is not that conspicuous," she said.
She added that she really hopes that the government can help her erect a sign outside the house to advertise her services.
Xie of the Gaochang district tourism bureau noted that the villagers need guidance to help them transform their way of thinking from being farmers to people in the tourism industry.
"If they know the benefits of tourism and they can make more money in it, this will accelerate the changing of their mentality," he said.
According to Xie, so far there are three ways to get villagers involved in tourism.
The first is to train young people to become employed in the tertiary industry at scenic spots. The second is encouraging them to use part of their houses to satisfy the tourists' dining and accommodation demands. The third is to cooperate with other relevant governmental bureaus including the industrial and commercial bureau to get locals involved in selling local products.
In different places, different tactics are used, according to him. Around Ayding Lake in Turpan, villagers are mostly involved in selling local products. In Grape Valley, residents are helped to provide accommodation and dining services to make profit.
According to the National Tourism Administration, 2.64 million people left poverty through the tourism industry in 2015, 18.3 percent of the total amount of people who were lifted out of poverty that year.
From the start of 2016 to August 22, 2.98 million tourists visited Gaochang, a 93 percent year-on-year growth, according to him.
But still, he admits, many people still don't know about this place and the publicity is not enough. "We're working on this," he said.
Besides, there is a scarcity of local investment and most of the money still has to come from the government, he added.
On the other hand, he told the Global Times that compared with other regions, Turpan has its edge in tourism as it has so many historical sites and scenic spots.
There are 18 designated scenic spots and eight 4A cultural heritage sites in Turpan.
While the national goal is to totally alleviate poverty by 2020, Xie said they aim to attain the goal by the end of this year in the villages.
"I'm optimistic about the future," he said.
