Village finds success in newly developed tourism industry
2023-11-24 19:11:53
By Ma Yuhan, Yichang International Communication Studio
Despite being the off season for tourism, visitors have still been making their way to Qinglin Temple Village, where local buses are filled up starting from 7 am.
"Our business is booming. The phone keeps ringing with room reservations," said Liao Binyuan, owner of a local B&B. "During winter, many tourists are attracted by the hot springs here, and we are almost fully booked during weekends and holidays."
Located along the banks of the Qing River in Yidu, Qinglin Temple was once a small fishing village.
Despite being the off season for tourism, visitors have still been making their way to Qinglin Temple Village, where local buses are filled up starting from 7 am.
"Our business is booming. The phone keeps ringing with room reservations," said Liao Binyuan, owner of a local B&B. "During winter, many tourists are attracted by the hot springs here, and we are almost fully booked during weekends and holidays."
Located along the banks of the Qing River in Yidu, Qinglin Temple was once a small fishing village.
In 2003, the village began to develop its sturgeon breeding industry and 40 percent of villagers were involved. Though this industry had boosted the local economy, it was damaging to the environment and water quality.
In 2017, the local government banned commercial open net pen aquaculture and villagers had to find new jobs.
To solve the employment problem, the local government decided to develop their tourist industry by establishing the Qinglin Kangyang Cultural Tourism Company.
“With the consent of villagers, we renovated their houses and developed commercial blocks, amusement parks, and other projects,” said Zhou Shenglan, general manager of the company.
To solve the employment problem, the local government decided to develop their tourist industry by establishing the Qinglin Kangyang Cultural Tourism Company.
“With the consent of villagers, we renovated their houses and developed commercial blocks, amusement parks, and other projects,” said Zhou Shenglan, general manager of the company.
With a population of under 1,000, riddles are a popular tradition passed down here, and the local residents possess a remarkable talent for solving them. The village soon was awarded the title of “China’s Riddle Village.” In 2006, Qinglin Temple’s riddles gained recognition as one of the first national Intangible Cultural Heritage treasures.
Last year, the village’s riddle-theme scenic area became a 4A tourist attraction, which opened new doors for development and potential higher incomes for local villagers.
In the first 10 months of this year, the village received 220,000 visitors and the villagers' additional income from the rise in the tourism industry reached a total of 15 million yuan (US$2.09 million).
In the first 10 months of this year, the village received 220,000 visitors and the villagers' additional income from the rise in the tourism industry reached a total of 15 million yuan (US$2.09 million).
