From restaurant to rural style
For Guo Shangyou, the transformation of Kuliang is something he has watched from a much closer range.
Guo, operator of Lingli Muli homestay, had spent years running restaurants in Fuzhou when he first came to Kuliang in 2010. What attracted him was not initially a business opportunity, but a feeling of returning to the countryside he remembered.
He began with about 50 mu (3.3 hectares) of rented land and a small restaurant. Over the years, he gradually expanded the operation to more than 200 mu.
The business now combines accommodation, restaurants and agriculture.
His farm grows seasonal fruit, including waxberries, peaches, plums, persimmons, pears, mulberries and kiwifruit, as well as vegetables for the restaurant. Guests staying at the homestay can visit the farm for fruit-picking and family activities, while educational and study-tour programs can also be arranged.
The restaurant has grown alongside the farm. It can accommodate dozens of tables and, during peak periods, receive several hundred customers a day.
For Guo, the agricultural side of the business is not simply a tourism product.
"I just enjoy growing fruit, and still handle much of the pruning work," he says.
That personal connection to the land has shaped how he runs the business. The homestay, which has 28 rooms, offers a distinctively private experience, with individual courtyards surrounded by greenery. The restaurant and farm provide additional reasons for guests to explore beyond their rooms.
"I try to make it different from a conventional hotel by putting together accommodation, food and rural experiences," Guo says.
Kuliang has become noticeably busier since he first arrived.
Some businesses have upgraded their facilities, while new restaurants, homestays and other tourism offerings have appeared, he observes.
"Infrastructure has also improved considerably, but the basic appeal remains familiar," he says.
During hot summer weekends, locals still head up the mountain for a short escape from Fuzhou's heat. Guo says many of his customers are still middle-aged or young adults, and returning guests often introduce new visitors.
The mountaintop of Zhugangding has also begun working with nearby homestays, allowing visitors to combine camping and outdoor activities with an overnight stay, Wang Ke says.
"We want to bring these businesses and experiences together so that the tourism chain can become longer," he says.
