Country lifestyle attracts people to village

Huangshandian becomes a hot spot thanks to rural vitalization experiment

Picking up eggs, digging up sweet potatoes, running after chickens … On a recent weekend, a Beijing parent surnamed Zhang and her son had a great time in Huangshandian village in the city’s Fangshan district.

“My son is having so much fun and is curious about everything here. He has never done farm work before and is asking to come here again,” Zhang told Beijing-based China Tourism News.

Zhang and her son are among large numbers of Beijing residents who recently visited Huangshandian village, which has grown into a popular tourist destination in some 10 years.

Since 2001, Huangshandian began to build limestone quarries and cement plants to capitalize on its natural resources. They brought increased earnings to the villagers but caused pollution and damage to the environment.

In 2009, the village decided to direct its focus on ecotourism and started to build the Pofengling scenic area, which covers more than 133 hectares.

Idle farmhouses in the village have been remodeled into more than 60 farmstays. Huangshandian now has more than 400,000 tourist arrivals on average every year, generating over 20 million yuan ($2.83 million) in revenue annually, China Tourism News reported.

“It’s worth noting that 80 percent of the employees of the Pofengling scenic area are villagers from Huangshandian and nearby villages,” Xu Yingli, manager of the scenic area, told China Tourism News. “As long as they wish to work in the village, they can find something to do.”

Huangshandian also offers study tours for children. They include science classes and experiences, such as identifying medicinal plants in a herb garden and learning about the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunar calendar through farming experiences.

“My favorite projects are adventures in the mushroom house and the outdoor pumpkin rolling classes. They are different from what I learn in school,” a child surnamed Zhang told China Tourism News about a recent visit to U World Nature Education Farm in Xiacun village, Fangshan district.

Besides a campground, a playground and a viewing area for crops, the 330,000-square-meter facility has a restaurant, cafe, library and animal zone. It has received 45,000

WANG XIUMIN / FOR CHINA DAILY From top: Farmers of Dayugou village collect persimmons in autumn, which have become a calling card of the village in Fangshan district, Beijing.

LI ZHIMING / FOR CHINA DAILY pictures The light and shade in fall foliage attract large numbers of tourists to the Pofengling scenic area in the district.

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Tourists take of a rural homestay establishment in Huangshandian village in the district.