Homestays raise incomes and living standards

Policy support and strong demand have seen the number of facilities soar in recent years. Cheng Si reports.

Pushing open a wooden door, Zhang Feng, a 55-year-old engineer, was entranced and could almost believe he was back in the house where he spent his childhood. Touching a decrepit antique locker, he remembered being reprimanded by his mother for stealing snacks as a small boy.

"I was raised in a village in Zhejiang province, but I moved to Hangzhou, the provincial capital, when I was 7," he said. "I still miss my early life in the village, the fresh air and the cute animals, even though decades have passed."