The Taoping Qiang village which has been developed into a scenic area will open to tourists for free from Feb. 1 to March 10, said its operator Jixiang cultural tourism company in Lixian county, where the village is located.

Previously the ticket to the scenic area is priced at 60 yuan per person, which will be scrapped temporarily for the Chinese New Year holiday period which is said to coincide with the Tibetan New Year in 2018.

This is the locals’ way to give back to the society for offering helping hands in the recovery from the severe earthquake in 2008 that shattered the nearby Wenchuan county at the epicenter.

Known for Qiang-style architecture that dates back 2,000 years, the village was designated in 2007 as a national key cultural relic site under government protection. It survived the magnitude-8 Wenchuan earthquake with the ancient buildings remaining intact almost miraculously, which had added to its appeal as a tourism attraction.

Now the village is offering free entrance for visitors to experience the distinctive culture of Qiang people and explore the mysterious labyrinths of stone-walled buildings serving as both fortifications and places of residence.