Upgraded rural tourism becomes highlight of domestic trips in China

Rural tourism across China is captivating domestic tourists with upgraded travel experiences.

As they sip coffee and leisurely stroll through the picturesque countryside, tourists can't help but marvel at the dramatic transformation that China’s rural areas have undergone, for they find themselves surrounded by neat rows of modern village houses, trendy camping sites, and stylish B&B hotels.

Besides the aesthetics that draw visitors, rural tourist destinations also offer a wide array of innovative, novel, and diverse leisure activities, making rural tourism a highlight of domestic trips across the country during the vibrant summer vacation season.

A tourist visits Shimen village, Wuyuan county, Shangrao city, east China’s Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)

Continuous innovation

A spectacular paddy field maze featuring a giant fish has wowed visitors in Longjiang township, Longling county, Baoshan city, southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

The locals have ingeniously planted tall rice varieties that can grow to a height of more than 1.6 meters to create the illusion of a fish gracefully swimming through the paddies. This innovative attraction not only provides a unique experience but also showcases the traditional rice farming culture of the township to tourists.

Zhuaji village, once a backward fishing village in Wusu township, Fuyuan city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, has experienced a remarkable transformation. It has blossomed into a beautiful cultural tourism destination with modern buildings, well-paved cement roads, and bustling shops.

Tapping into the rich folk culture of the Hezhe ethnic group, the predominant ethnic group inhabiting the village, Zhuaji village has encouraged local residents to shift their focus from fishing to tourism, giving a brand-new look to the village while increasing the income of locals.

Visitors to Zhuaji village can now enjoy various experiences, from watching traditional fishing demonstrations to savoring specialty local fish cuisines and enjoying performances of Hezhe folk dances.

Yezehe village in Xishe township, Jiaocheng county, north China’s Shanxi Province, has earned the reputation as a garden-style village by virtue of its picturesque landscapes.

In an effort to further enhance its appeal and attract more visitors, the village has built health resorts and forest sightseeing areas, aiming to attract tourists and motivate them to stay longer and revisit the place.

Tourists enjoy a performance of Min Opera piece “The Legend of the White Snake” in a village in Fuqing city, southeast China’s Fujian Province. Min Opera, a traditional local opera in Fujian Province, has been recognized as China’s national-level intangible cultural heritage. (Photo/Xie Guiming)

Digital transformation

The in-depth integration of the digital economy and the tourism industry has significantly contributed to the upgrading of rural tourism in China.

Since 2023, a collaborative effort among prominent online platforms in China, including popular video-sharing platform Douyin, travel service platform Fliggy, and lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu, has launched a rural tourism digital enhancement initiative.

The initiative, carried out under the guidance of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, aims to promote the integration of the digital economy with tourism, drive industrial transformation, cultivate new types of consumption, and motivate more platforms, organizations, social forces, industry influencers and makers to engage in rural tourism development.

It has paved the way for the integrated development of rural tourism and the digital economy, emerging as a crucial strategy for the upgrading of rural tourism across the country.

The initiative has so far benefited over 20,000 rural tourism operators across 1,138 counties of 31 provinces, resulting in nearly 20 million rural tourist visits.

As part of this year's implementation of the initiative, Fliggy plans to provide online and offline training to over 10,000 practitioners in rural tourism, e-commerce, cultural tourism, as well as other related fields, covering 100 counties.

The training will include practical skills such as digital marketing and content creation for rural tourism destinations.

Qili township in Quzhou city, east China’s Zhejiang Province, has pioneered a path for rural tourism upgrading by use of digital means.

The township has created a digital version of its scenic areas and implemented various smart systems encompassing navigation, parking, guided tours, visitor flow monitoring, and accommodation management, all integrated through a unified code system.

Cross-industry collaboration

As a major driving force for rural tourism development, the integration of tourism with industries such as sports, art, education, and health has emerged as an important way to shape the future of rural tourism in the country.

One notable example of this integration is the Village Super League (VSL) football tournament in Rongjiang county, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, which gained viral success in 2023 and brought enormous attention to the county.

From May 13, 2023 to June 30, 2024, the VSL series garnered over 70 billion views online, leading to explosive growth in tourist visits and tourism revenue for Rongjiang county.

Shucheng county in east China’s Anhui Province has successfully attracted visitors through road trips.

By launching a self-driving activity featuring a scenic route passing through three villages, the county has managed to attract more than 100 driving enthusiasts before the May Day holiday this year, bringing new opportunities for tourism development to villages along the way.

In a different approach, Qiaotou township in Shizhu county, southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality has developed itself into a rural art creation base.

By building infrastructure for art creation and integrating it with distinctive B&B hotels, leisure tourism, and agricultural product processing, the township has carved out a new path for rural development driven by art.