Homestay service burgeons at Dazhai Village in S China

Pan Fenglan (C) talks with German tourists at the homestay she operates at Dazhai Village of Longsheng County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Beyond the picturesque Longji Rice Terraces lies Dazhai Village, flanked by lush greenery, towering mountains, and a diverse array of homestays.

Named among the Best Tourism Villages of 2022 by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for its breathtaking agricultural view, this village also takes pride in its robust homestay facilities that have annually brought more than 500,000 yuan (about 68,854 U.S. dollars) to over 60 percent of local households.

The flourishing homestay service in the village grew out of household-run catering and recreation services that started to burgeon since the first highway reached the village two decades ago.

Homestay service has not only created jobs for locals but also facilitated the development of tourism-related businesses in surrounding areas.

This combo photo shows homestays and terraced fields in 2013 (above, file photo) and 2024 (below, taken by Xinhua journalist Cao Yiming) at Dazhai Village of Longsheng County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 11, 2024 shows terraced fields at Dazhai Village of Longsheng County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Pan Baofen and her husband work at the homestay they operate at Dazhai Village of Longsheng County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Chan)

A college graduate newly recruited by a homestay is out for business at Dazhai Village of Longsheng County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

Li Bin (1st L) serves tea to tourists at the homestay he operates at Dazhai Village of Longsheng County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Li Bin (1st L) serves tea to tourists at the homestay he operates at Dazhai Village of Longsheng County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Chan)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 10, 2024 shows homestays at Dazhai Village of Longsheng County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

A villager walks in terraced fields at Dazhai Village of Longsheng County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, July 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Tourists are pictured during a traditional festival at Dazhai Village of Longsheng County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, July 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

German tourists enjoy rural scenery at a homestay at Dazhai Village of Longsheng County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Zou Jingyi)