How a London-based editor became mayor of a small village in China’s Guizhou province
- When Lonely Planet’s China editor Megan Eaves received an email inviting her to become mayor of Danzhai, she thought it was a scam
- After accepting the position she realised the power that tourism can have as a force for good
My favourite anecdote to tell at parties is the story of how I became the mayor of a small Chinese village.
It all began in early 2019. I was sitting on the Asia desk in Lonely Planet’s London office, staring at my inbox, when an email with a most unusual proposition popped up. It was from the global communications manager at Wanda Group – a man named Yang – asking if I would be interested in coming to China to be the mayor of Danzhai, a small village in Guizhou province.
Internet scam alarms went off in my head. Be the mayor of a Chinese village. LOL. Amazing.
I checked the email address. It actually looked like a legitimate Wanda domain. I googled “Danzhai” and a couple of articles came up touting the Rotating Mayor programme. I did some light LinkedIn stalking of Yang and he seemed to be real. I was too curious to not bite.
Wedged in a tiny, mountainous corner of southwest China, hemmed in by five other provinces, Guizhou is one of those “Where even is it?” places. Business investment over the years has been sparse due to its mountainous terrain and historical lack of connectivity, and it’s often overlooked by travellers, who tend to opt for the well-known scenery of the Li River, next door in Guangxi, or cultural tourism in neighbouring Yunnan. Guizhou is also sandwiched between culinary powerhouses Sichuan and Hunan, so its food scene has been overshadowed, too.
Yang’s invitation turned out to be real indeed, and on a bright April morning I landed in Guiyang, the provincial capital. I met Yang at Trip Smith, an alleyway craft brewery in an old, low-rise building. He arrived smartly outfitted in a knitted jumper, 1950s Clubmaster glasses and a warm smile.
