Fusion of agriculture, cultural tourism drives rural vitalization

Cherry season has arrived in the Hedong district of Linyi city, Shandong province. The orchards are brimming with bright red, glistening cherries. Visitors, carrying small buckets, stroll through the lush fruit trees, savoring their leisure time.

Cherries in the orchard are ripe for picking. [Photo by Min Dexia for chinadaily.com.cn]

In these orchards, people can pick cherries, camp, barbecue, take photos, dine, and hold gatherings or team-building activities. This model of leisure agriculture and rural tourism is thriving in Hedong district. The rise of rural tourism is turning landscapes into industries and beauty into productivity, benefiting local residents. 

"Our village alone has earned a significant amount of collective income and created over 20 stable jobs through rural tourism," said Han Qinggong, Party branch secretary of Dataiping village in Taiping subdistrict, Hedong.

Hedong district features two national-level wetland parks, along with an extensive riverside area. With a forest coverage rate exceeding 23 percent, the district's pristine ecological environment is ideal for developing rural tourism and leisure agriculture.

In exploring the integration of agriculture with cultural tourism, Hedong district has improved grassroots governance, nurtured leading enterprises, and developed an ecological agriculture model including orchard bases, leisure agriculture, and sightseeing tourism. This has led to the emergence of numerous modern, distinctive family farms, collectively contributing to rural vitalization. (Edited by Du Xiaping)