Quotable

These 'happy farmhouses' have increased farmers' income and boosted rural construction. They have attracted capital from the city to the countryside and in so doing advanced rural-urban integration."

Liu Mingguo, a senior Agriculture Ministry official, said on a recent tourism forum in Beijing. An emerging form of agritourism in China called nongjiale, literally "happy farmhouse" but commonly called rural home inns, attracted 900 million tourists to the countryside in 2013, according to the ministry. The 1.5 million happy farmhouses created raised 29 million yuan ($4.7 million) in revenue for rural residents, the ministry said. The rural-style food and accommodations at happy farmhouses have become popular with urban residents who seek a temporary escape from fast-paced city life.