These days the county-level city of Jingjiang is working hard to harness agrotourism to boost its rural vitalization.
The city, under the prefecture-level metropolis of Taizhou in East China's Jiangsu province, recently used a cultural tourism festival in the countryside to promote it, local media reported.
Agrotourism – also known agritourism – involves any agriculturally based operation or venture that brings visitors to farms and the countryside to stay and spend.
From March 26, the ongoing Xilai Peach Blossom Festival, which has been staged for the last 11 years and will run to early May, attracted visitors from across the country to enjoy the wonderful vistas of peach flowers in Xilai township.
Visitors enjoy a parade of stylish hanfu – a traditional Chinese style of clothing – at the Xilai Peach Blossom Festival. [Photo by Sheng Yi provided to etaizhou.gov.cn]
The event is part of the Jingjiang municipal government's wider efforts to build up local tourism brands.
The administration is prioritizing the development of agriculture and its rural areas and aligning its efforts in promoting rural vitalization with developing its tourism.
It is also striving to improve rural infrastructure and to develop integrated agricultural and tourism industries.
The municipality is also encouraging all townships to leverage their local strengths and rely on their own natural conditions to develop more resources for rural tourism.
This is so that tourists can experience the beautiful scenery that goes hand in hand with successful rural regeneration and taste local gastronomic treats and dishes.
The robust development of rural tourism is widely said to have already driven the flow of capital, personnel, projects and other resources to the countryside in Jingjiang.
Furthermore, it has effectively promoted the development of the city's rural economy and increased farmers incomes, as well as enhanced the charms and vitality of the countryside.
In 2022, 84.7 percent of the administrative villages in Jingjiang boasted operating incomes of more than 500,000 yuan ($72,676) and the per capita disposable income of rural residents topped 32,000 yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.4 percent.