3. Diqing, Yunnan province

In the Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture, farmers used to grow wheat, corn and buckwheat in highland fields, and were often troubled by harvest failures and financial difficulties. With government aid, farmers were persuaded to switch to planting medicinal herbs, a product that Yunnan is renowned for. Tongle village, a Lisu ethnic community, now boasts more than 160 hectares of medicinal herb plantations with 13 varieties of plants, which have increased villagers' average per capita income by 3,000 yuan ($421) a year.