Gaopo township boosts tourism by planting flowers

In recent years, Gaopo township in Huaxi district, Guiyang, has been planting fields of flowers to attract visitors and drive local tourism.

The township is focused on improving the local environment and has created a scenic spot integrating sightseeing, agriculture experience, nature-related science popularization, and mountain sports.

Since the beginning of this year, Shimen Jinxiu Tianyuan Scenic Spot has received 120,000 visits, generating tourism revenue of 4 million yuan ($559,200).

In addition, through a "companies + village collectives + cooperatives + farmers" development model, the township has combined flower fields with different industries. Efforts have been made to revitalize idle houses and lands neighboring the scenic spot, forming a rural industrial cluster integrating recreation, camping and interactive activities.

To date, the township has revitalized over 20 idle houses in the vicinity of the scenic area, and stimulated the development of more than 20 agritainment activities and over 10 homestays, contributing to an estimated income of approximately 400,000 yuan for the collective economy of Shimen village.

What's more, the rapid development of local tourism has significantly boosted with local employment. As of now, the scenic area has employed more than 50 long-term laborers, and over 300 households consisting of more than 600 people from surrounding villages have participated in labor export, agricultural products, catering, and tourism operations.

Shimen village has achieved a significant leap in per capita income, increasing from 8,000 yuan in 2016 to 14,800 yuan this year.