Rustic charm of rural China trend among tourists

Beijing, May 5th (Xinhua) – A Crystal River, lush bamboo groves and gentle village life are all ingredients that Sanwan must be a rural retreat that holds the hearts of tourists.

For Chinese people who live in modernized and well -developed urban areas, this pastoral environment in the province of Jiangxi in East China has become a strange but appealing lifestyle that more and more villagers are exhibiting as tourist attractions.

“People need a change in regular excursions, especially of crowded painterly positions on social media,” said Xiao Xing, who runs a family family in Sanwan. “Instead of checking boxes or pursuing viral photobots, many visitors come with family and friends to stroll through the landscape and enjoy the slower pace of life.”

China's landscape is overshadowed for a long time, which is overshadowed by legendary tourist hotspots, and now enjoys its moment in the spotlight. While the city dwellers flee from the crowds and concrete of urban life, calm villages like Sanwan have become tourism magnet and offer peace, authenticity and slower pace.

During this year's holiday in May, rural tourism, a niche segment was booming nationwide.

“This year's market for vacation trips in May in May blooms on several fronts, with both improved consumption and rational demand to drive trends,” said Fang Zeqian, industrial analyst at the Ctrip Research Institute. “The rise of 'Reverse Tourism' is remarkable and draws more visitors to smaller cities and rural goals and relaxes the pressure on traditional hotspots through differentiated experiences.”

Take Ji'an City in Sanwan Township as an example. In recent years, the city has developed more than 200 “beautiful villages” and over 30,000 modeled rural courtyards. It now has more than 150 rural tourism sites at the provincial level at the provincial level and underlines the growing dynamic behind the country tourism.

Tourists take a look at a popular artistry in the village of Zhuquan in Yinan County, Linyi City, East China's province of Shandong, May 4, 2025 (photo by Wang Yanbing/Xinhua)

According to estimates by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, rural tourism all over the country welcomed 707 million visits in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 8.9 percent compared to the previous year. The total turnover from rural tourism reached 412 billion Yuan (approx. 57.21 billion US dollars), which made an increase of 5.6 percent.

In the meantime, these retreats outside the ratio that were primarily sought by domestic travelers have now become coveted escapes for international visitors. China's guidelines for the liberation of Visa have opened the door for more travelers to explore authentic experiences beyond the well -tried tourism routes of cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Since the implementation of the 240-hour transite visa-free guideline, the number of international visitors who arrive at Chinese entry points has increased by the end of March 2025, an increase in foreign arrivals from abroad. This influx of international visitors is changing the rural tourism landscape.

International tourists include calm life in places such as Dongsheng Dorf, Liuyin Township in the district of Chongqing. “This is nothing like what I imagined what the rural China should be, there is convenience and comfort, but also an authentic connection to nature,” said Vietnamese visitors Nguyen Mai Anh, who selected strawberries and impressed the mix of modern amenities and natural charm of the village.

This group of Vietnamese tourists marks another wave of international visitors after the first reception of foreign tour groups was recorded by the village in March. “In the past, foreign tourists have mainly visited urban areas in China. Now they are striving to explore the landscape and experience their unique charm,” said Fu Xiaoyun, official at Township Authority.

Liuyin has been organizing over 80 domestic and international tour groups since the beginning of this year and attracted more than 20,000 visitors, including over 6,000 from abroad. The four strawberry farms of the village alone contributed around 200,000 Yuan to the income of the residents, while the homestays were fully booked during May.

For some international tourists, the Chinese landscape has become a retreat where they keep returning. Jerry Gray, a 67-year-old Australian, is such a regular visitor to the village of Yakou in the city of Zhongshan in the province of Guangdong in Guangdong in Zhonghan.

This is undoubtedly a beautiful place, no factories, no skyscrapers, just a pure country that visits the South China village once or twice. He added that he loves China to tour, especially in rural areas, because when he visited he can discover something new about village life.

A descendant (R) The local horse train operator says goodbye to a foreign tourist in the village of Sideng in Shaxi, Jianchuan County, in the southwest of China's province of Yunnan, April 19, 2025. (Xinhua/HU Chao). (Xinhua/HU Chao).

China's rural tourism gains international recognition. In November 2024, the world tourism organization of the United Nations recognized seven Chinese villages as the best tourist villages in their selection of 2024 and brought the total number of Chinese villages to 15.

These villages, which are distributed in eastern, central and West China, are exemplary in their geographical, cultural and development diversity and show the impressive progress that China has made in the development of rural tourism.

The rural tourism boom, which sweeps all over China, is behind the comprehensive strategy for revitalizing the country, which once breathes new life into Sabby villages and has transformed it into lively goals.

“The landscape now not only offers a beautiful landscape, but also a decent infrastructure, simply makes food, accommodation and entertainment,” said Ma Pin, a tourist from Fujian, who extends his journey in Sanwan for more relaxed and cheaper experience, which are impressed by shuttle buses with cleaning and greeting mountain houses.

And when tourism blooms, the opportunity for residents also offers. During the boom, villagers find new roles as guest owners, shopkeepers and travel guides, who, according to Xiao, give rural communities a facelift and a new rental contract.

Nowhere can this transformation be more visible anywhere than in Guangdongs Guizhu -dorf. The village was once a backlog affected by poverty on provincial lists. Even three years ago, pedestrian traffic was rare even during the day. “You could run for an hour and hardly see any person,” recalled the head of the village party Li Xiaolong.

The village was hindered after a crumbly infrastructure and sparse amenities and, thanks to 10 million that Yuan invests, has subjected a dramatic facelift.

Paved roads are now winding through revitalized river banks, on which scenic platforms offer panoramic views as well as public facilities such as cultural places and greenways. Now it has become a social media sensation and draws thousands of visitors every week.

Tourists enjoy spring landscapes in the village of Zhonghua, Beibei, Southwest Chinese Chongqing, March 19, 2025. (Photo by Qin Tingfu/Xinhua)

Once abandoned farmhouses were born as host families, cafes and rustic pubs. With new facilities that attract a steady tourist foot current, the collective income of the village from only 174,700 Yuan in 2021 in 2021 in 2024, a breathtaking jump that shows the actual economic effects of the Chinese ruralization drive.

Liu Li is the head of the tourism management department at Jilin International Studies University that the government's efforts to improve rural infrastructure have significantly increased the attraction of rural tourism. Tourism management specialists are increasingly in this sector and use their expertise and innovative thinking to develop a wide range of tourism products and experiences and to improve the quality and service standards of rural tourism.

With a view to the future, experts believe that rural tourism in China is based on further growth. Lyu Jun, member of the National Expert Committee for Tourism Studies, finds that the sector enters into a phase of high -quality development, which is powered by guidelines, market forces and cultural influences.

“With the integration of technology, cultural preservation, environmentally friendly development and branding, rural tourism will be a core engine for the revival of rural areas,” he said. “It will fulfill the double requirements of tourists for both nostalgia and innovative experiences and offer a sustainable model for the future of travel.”

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)