Beijing: A couple of decades ago, locals in Zisiqiao, China used to make a living from farming and fishing. But now they rear snakes like pythons, vipers and cobras.
If one steps into the village, they will only see hundreds of snakes slithering about in small wooden boxes piled on top of each other.
During the summer months, one can see concrete pits full of some of the most dangerous snakes in the world. One snake is particularly feared here – the so-called ‘five-step snake’.
The snake is so deadly, say villagers, that if you are bitten the furthest you will get is five steps before dying.
The reptiles are reared for their meat, which is sold to restaurants, and their body parts, which are highly sought after in traditional Chinese medicine.
The snake business is so much in demand that the companies make double profit. Initially, wild snakes were used to cure ailments. However, spotting business opportunity, villagers turned into breeding the snakes and quickly made fortunes.
According to sources, a farmer identified as Yang Hongchang first introduced snake breeding to the village decades ago.
Mr Yang says he first caught wild snakes to cure a serious illness he suffered as a young man. Seeing a business opportunity, other villagers then followed his lead.
Moreover, consuming snakes and snake parts is believed by some to boost health.
But with rising demand for snakes, the once poor village of Zisiqiao is now relatively wealthy, with many residents boasting revenue of tens of thousands of dollars.
The villagers sell his goods both domestically and overseas. Snakes are renowned for their medicinal properties in Chinese medicine. They are often drunk in a soup or even in wine to boost the patient’s immune system.
While most of his business is done domestically, the villagers also export their products overseas to Japan and South Korea, as well as Germany and the US.
On his snake farm, I met one young man who had travelled hundreds of miles for treatment.
A man in this village claimed to have been bed-ridden for three years. But after taking snake medicine for several months, he regained his ability to walk.
“Snakes are my saviour,” he said. “When I first came here I was scared of snakes but that’s no longer the case.”