Wasteland has an appealing transformation

Although it only opened to the public in March last year, Jinlinwan tourism town has attracted 600,000 visitors so far this year, up 50 percent over the same period of last year, with many coming to relax in the hot springs and view the fields of lavender.

“The town used to be a barren wasteland, until we turned it into grassland and introduced flowers and the tourist facilities a few years ago,” says Wang Jianwei, vice-general manager of a tourism company that runs the town.“Now families can enjoy camping and barbecues on the grassland and they have access to a gym and can enjoy sports such as basketball, badminton, tennis and horse-riding.”

Moreover, Jinlinwan appeals to couples who come here to have their wedding photos taken by professional teams in the picturesque surroundings.

Wang’s company and the local government have jointly invested 16.2 billion yuan ($2.46 billion) to develop a 533-hectare love-themed facility for weddings, including a honeymoon hotel, to further tap the lucrative wedding market.

Most of travelers come from Kunming and Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province, thanks to the Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway that opened at the end of last year and which has helped to bring more visitors from neighboring cities.

The high-speed railway has cut the travel time to half an hour from Qujing to Kunming, Jinlinwan tourism town

draws couples to take their wedding photos in the lavender fields.

vice-general manager of a tourism company in Jinlinwan

one and a half hours to Guiyang, and four hours to Changsha, the capital of Hunan province.

Wang says the town owes its popularity to the local government’s support.

“The government has recommended us in various tourism promotion events held in major cities across the country,” he adds.

Jinlinwan is just part of Qujing that is looking to develop the domestic tourism market.

The Qujing government has taken a series of measures to transform the city into an ecological and culture tourism destination in the last few years.

“Qujing has, in fact, many advantages and natural resources that can help develop its tourism industry,” says Dong Baotong, Qujing.

For example, the city’s Nizhuhe Canyon offers idyllic beauty and features hovering golden eagles, karst grottos and cliffs.

“We’re now building Qujing into a national forest city to upgrade the environment, and will integrate ecological environment with tourism,” Dong says. Visitors can enjoy mayor of camping and the wonderful outdoor experiences that Qujing has to offer,” Dong says.

The city’s many local ethic cultures are also being promoted to attract tourists.

In 2016, the city received 17.3 million visits by travelers, almost double the number in 2012, and the income from tourism was 15.3 billion yuan, Dong says.

Many sports facilities have been established and a number of sporting events have been held to spice up the visitor experience.

The world’s Iron Man competition was held in August, and various domestic competitions have been staged in Qujing.

Now, a movie studio is under construction, and Dong believes that many fans will come to see the stars, and travel in Qujing in the interim.

Wang Jianwei,