Local

Longwan recognized for its beautiful countryside

Updated: 2013-12-12
( chinadaily.com.cn )

Longwan village in Jingtai county, Gansu province, has been included in a list of ten villages with the most beautiful countryside in China. The Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and National Tourism Administration released the names of the villages at a ceremony in Yonglian village, Zhangjiagang city of Jiangsu province on Nov 30.

Yonglian is also on the list, and the other villages are: Hancunhe in Beijing, Pingle in Henan province, Xidi in Anhui, Nahui in Guizhou, Xuexiang in Heilongjiang, Huayuan in Zhejiang, Shuidui in Yunnan and Dazong in Shandong.

The Yellow River Stone Forest National Geopark in Longwan, which is located 70 kilometers north of Baiyin city, is a national 4A tourist attraction, with mountains and hills, fresh air and stone forests, in addition to the tranquility of the river.

Longwan has aimed in recent years to attract more visitors to the geopark and, in 2012, per capita net income of the villagers reached 8,300 yuan ($1,367), with about 5,321 yuan from the tourism industry. Longwan is now seen as a model for tourism in the country’s western rural region and CCTV-1, as well as AETN, a US media company that owns a group of TV channels, aired programs about the village, showcasing its cultural heritage and the changes in residents’ lives.

The geopark is a protected area covering 50 square kilometers, and is known for its natural landscape and also for offering visitors the opportunity to increase their understanding of the local culture. It also offers modern facilities, including tour buses, electric cars, rafts, and boats. More than 40 TV dramas were filmed in the area, and it attracted 519,000 visitors in 2013.