Eco-tourism to boost rural vitalization in Shandong

A tourist admires the blooming sunflowers. [Photo by Liu Yongxia for chinadaily.com.cn]

Blooming sunflowers have been attracting many tourists to the Hetangzhai area of Qiuzhuang village, Juancheng county, Heze city, East China's Shandong province.

Tourists have a rest in the flower field. [Photo by Liu Yongxia for chinadaily.com.cn]

Qiu Changxin, a villager from Qiuzhuang who returned to his hometown to start a business in 2021, invested in the construction of the Hetangzhai project in 2022 with the support of the town government and village committees.

The project, which will be completed in three phases, has an estimated investment of 12 million yuan ($1.67 million). It will combine the construction of a beautiful countryside with the protection of local culture, and create an eco-tourism project that integrates sightseeing, dining, accommodation and picking. (Edited by Fan Yuanyuan)