Village tourism booms despite protection concerns

Zhou Shuyu, a farmer from north China's Taihang Mountain, has an annual income of 200,000 yuan (32,467 U.S. dollars). He's enjoying life. Zhou, 40, lives in Jingdi Village of Pingshun County in Shanxi Province, one of the country's most poverty-stricken areas. He runs a farm stay business, offering visitors accommodation and food. Per capita income of the village in 2000 was between 600 and 700 yuan, 1,500 yuan less than the average level for rural areas. Income among Jingdi villagers has risen to 5,480 yuan thanks to tourism. More than 30 village families now own cars. The village, famous for its mountain and stone-made houses and streets, has benefited from 600 million yuan of investment. In 2013, 150,000 tourists visited Jingdi, helping generate more than 8 million yuan in income. "This is the perfect place for a short getaway. The mountain view and fresh air is just what we needed," said Wang Quansheng, a tourist from the central province of Henan. It's his seventh trip to the village. Rural getaways have become a top choice for urbanites as they look to get away from city pressures. Agritainment in China is a growing trend, with 1.7 million families offering accommodation and farm-based entertainment in 2013. Total income reached 280 billion yuan, benefiting 30 million farmers, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang said at the 2014 World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit in late April. Ten thousand villages will become tourism spots and 200,000 households will be turned into farm stay accommodation this year. For Bai Suzhen, a villager from Hougou, ancient village protection and the development of tourism have not only increased her annual income from 5,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan, but also raised her awareness of cultural protection. "I see all these old architectures differently now," Bai said. However, the development of village tourism has caused concerns because of rampant commercialization. In Hougou Village, 87 percent of ticket revenue goes to contractors and the local government, leaving less than 30,000 yuan for protection of the ancient village, which dates back to the Tang dynasty (618-907). Some villagers have even been forced to move out. In Zhangbi Village, home to an ancient castle, more than 60 percent of locals had to be relocated. Villager Zheng Wenjin said he expected to cash in from farm stay accommodation. Instead he moved out. "I would have rather stayed in the village. I used to drop in on neighbors for a chat," he said. Feng Jicai, president of Chinese Folk Literature and Art Society, said tourism development of ancient villages should be done with more care, and the interests of local residents and their culture should be protected. "Developers should realize the value of historic villages, rather than just chasing after money," he said. A survey in 2012 showed the vast majority of traditional villages are disappearing because of China's urbanization drive, which has taken tens of millions of farmers to cities. The number of villages plummeted from 3.63 million to 2.71 million in ten years from 2000. There are now fewer than 5,000 historic villages in the country. To protect villages, authorities have devoted more than 10 billion yuan in three years since 2011. So far, 1,561 villages have been listed as national traditional villages. "People make trips to villages for the idyllic scenery," said Qiu Baoxing, vice minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, during a meeting in late April. Qiu said the countryside and traditional culture are rare tourism resources. Village tourism is expected to account for more than one third of the nation's overall tourism market, he added. The Chinese tourism market is expected to exceed 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars within five years. China is the world's second largest travel and tourism economy, with each Chinese person making an average of two trips last year. The travel market is set to grow 7 percent annually for the next 10 years.