Free canteen allows villagers more time to focus on visitors

It’s lunchtime, and the residents of Zhonghaoyu village in Zibo, Shandong province, had gathered in the public canteen for their free meals.

The village opened its public canteen in June to help locals save time and focus on their tourism businesses.

Once a poor mountainous village, Zhonghaoyu was plagued by a lack of arable land, with an average per capita annual income of around just 2,000 yuan ($290) a dozen years ago.

To find a way to wealth, the village — which boasts beautiful natural scenery — turned its attention to tourism. In 2007, a tourism company was established by local authorities, and 37 households took the lead to become shareholders.

In 2013, all the houses, forest and land in the village were incorporated into the company, and every villager became a shareholder.

More than 400 houses were renovated. Specialty snacks and tourist attractions such boat rides were developed, and they have worked in attracting tourists, with the village welcoming 780,000 tourists last year.

Young people who left for jobs in cities years ago are now coming back to join the company, and more than 20 college graduates are now working in Zhonghaoyu.

The village’s tourism income exceeded 28 million yuan last year, and the average per capita annual income reached 38,000 yuan.

“It was unimaginable years ago that people as old as me could make so much money,” said Zhang Yedong. Once a farmer barely making ends meet, he and his wife now run a snack bar selling pancakes.

Zhang Yefen opened an eatery selling dumplings, and she also runs a family hostel. “Four people in my family are working now, and we made over 300,000 yuan last year,” she said.

As the local tourism industry has grown, however, many villagers have become too busy to cook three meals a day. Thus, the free canteen was born.

Zhao Dongqiang, the village’s Party secretary, estimated that the village will spend 2.8 million yuan a year on meals for its 360 residents.

“It’s so convenient to eat in the canteen, as we don’t need to cook or wash the dishes,” Zhang Yedong said. “There are plenty of dishes for every meal, which is impossible if you eat at home.”

Tourism has become a new income stream for people living in China’s countryside. According to official figures, rural areas generated tourist spending of over 1.4 trillion yuan last year.