Tourism thrives in Guangxi's Xinhe township

Photo shows the beautiful scenery of Buhua village, Xinhe township, Jiangzhou district, Chongzuo city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo/Huang Chengcheng)

"All of our 60 rooms are booked every holiday," said Zhou Zhenxi, who operates a cluster of B&B hotels in Xinhe township, Jiangzhou district, Chongzuo city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Several years ago, Zhou decided to work with several leading B&B hotels in the country to build the first cluster of B&Bs in Xinhe township, which is known for sugarcane production. The average per capita output of sugarcane in the township with a population of 30,000 exceeds 40 tonnes.

The township is now also home to a cluster of high-end B&B hotels. The development of the B&B industry is the epitome of its tourism sector.

When Jiangzhou district was listed as a demonstration zone for improving the living environment in Guangxi in June 2019, Xinhe township launched a three-year action plan to comprehensively improve the living environment in villages, giving them a brand new look, said Chen Weifeng, Party chief of the township.

Now, the once dirty and disorderly villages along the Heishui River in the township have become popular photo spots. "Many tourists outside our village visit every day. They admire us for our happy life," said Liu Xinmin, a resident of Xincun village in the township.

With abundant water resources, including the Heishui River, Xinhe township is located along a popular rural tourism route and a China-Vietnam cross-border tourism route.

"We decided to leverage our advantages in local resources to build the Xinhe tourist resort," said Zhang Ling, head of the bureau of culture and tourism of Jiangzhou district.

The district has attached great importance to the development of the B&B industry, according to Li Honglan, head of Jiangzhou district. It established a leading group, organized multiple research trips to areas with a thriving B&B sector, and issued relevant management measures and incentive support standards, providing sound policy guarantees and financial support to develop the sector.

A tourist tries to make brown sugar at a scenic spot in Xinhe township, Jiangzhou district, Chongzuo city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo/Wei Fanglan)

Focusing on the development of the Xinhe tourist resort, Jiangzhou district has implemented six projects for the B&B industry, with four projects being put into service, attracting seven B&B hotels.

Once all the projects are completed, they will provide 334 rooms, capable of receiving 120,000 visitors annually and generating an annual operating revenue of 67 million yuan ($9.3 million). They will also provide over 330 direct jobs, generating direct and indirect employment for around 1,000 people.

Leveraging its pristine natural environment and reasonable planning for the tourism industry, Xinhe township received over 1 million tourist visits in 2023, generating tourism revenue of more than 200 million yuan.

Thanks to the development of the tourism sector, farmers who once relied on farming for a living have become flower growers, tour guides, cleaners, and hotel staff, receiving considerable incomes.

"More than 90 percent of our company's over 100 employees are local villagers," said Zhou, adding that the cluster of B&B hotels has driven the development of tourism-related sectors like catering, transportation, and accommodations, allowing villagers to earn money near their homes.

"I work as a cleaner at a B&B hotel, earning a monthly salary of 2,500 yuan. I also receive rental fees from land transfers, dividends, and subsidies. My annual income tops 60,000 yuan," said villager Zhao Yueqiu.

In 2023, the annual turnover of B&B hotels in Buhua village in the township stood at 1.1 million yuan, said Yang Jing, first secretary of the village.

Yang added that a B&B hotel project jointly invested by the village and villagers is being decorated, which is expected to generate an additional income of around 100,000 yuan for the village this year.