Shidu heats up in summer

"Visitors can enjoy recreation in nature," says Ma Changru, a local tourism official.

Donghugang hosts a vast canyon, a large waterfall and a skyline sliced by mountain peaks.

A polychromatic-glass rafting chute that resembles a rainbow spans the canyon.

Inquiries from travelers and agencies have increased since the new facilities opened, Ma says.

Donghugang received over 400,000 visitors last year.

It has proposed to the local government a package-ticket policy that'd provide access to several Shidu attractions, Ma says.

Roughly 900 private rural households offer catering, boarding and farming activities.

Shidu plans to bring table tennis, skiing and boating experiences to its major scenic spots and villages, Beijing folk tourism association head Liu Zenghui says.

And a nearly 26-km leisure corridor through forests, farmlands and rivers will be built at the end of this year.

It seems likely that, given Shidu's expanding allure, it will become an even hotter spot for visitors this summer.