Tourism to Shaanxi's rural villages emerges as a key driver of growth

Rural villages in Shaanxi province have become more popular with domestic tourists and those from abroad in recent years and are a new growth driver for the tourism industry, the provincial tourism bureau said.

Home to many world-renowned historical and cultural heritage sites, such as the Terracotta Warriors and Wild Goose Pagoda, the province now attracts millions of visitors each year to its folk villages, with 248 million tourists received last year, accounting for 39 percent of all tourists in the province.

"Rural tourism has become an important aspect of a thriving rural economy," said An Bin of the Shaanxi Department of Culture and Tourism.