As village shapes up, more tourists come to take a look

Zeng Zhihua, 42, has a spiky crew cut that fits his gruff and decisive demeanor. His resolute gaze only softens when he scans the fields of Xitou village in Zhejiang province, hugged by misty mountains that overlook creeks and rivers flowing past rural houses.

Zeng started working as the head of Xitou in 2008 and became the village's Party chief in 2014. He said the natural landscape of Xitou was its most valuable, though underrated, asset.

"When I returned to the village in 2008, it had no vigor, just teetering houses, clogged waterways and a population of less than 500," he said. "Most young people had ventured out to nearby cities."