How did commercial agriculture change for many Li people after China reopened its economy?

After China reopened its economy, many Li people shifted from traditional subsistence farming to commercial agriculture. A primary change for many was the transition to planting rubber trees.1

This shift occurred within the broader context of Hainan's economic transformation. Following the late 1970s, the central government designated the island as a special economic zone to encourage foreign investment and rely more heavily on market forces. While the Li historically lived in upland river valleys growing paddy rice and raising livestock, the move toward commercial crops like rubber integrated them more deeply into the island's evolving, market-oriented economy.231