A stretch of chrysanthemum blossoms in Beitang village, Lincheng town, Changxing county, Huzhou. [Photo/hz66.com] 

A chrysanthemum exhibition that features over 60,000 pots of chrysanthemum flowers, spanning more than 500 varieties, recently wrapped up in Beitang village, Lincheng town, Changxing county, Huzhou.

Apart from chrysanthemum blossoms, visitors to the village are able to admire other kinds of flowers, such as cherry blossoms in the spring, lotus flowers in the summer, and plum blossoms in the winter.

Tourism based on floral displays has emerged as a prime economic engine for the village. It can receive up to 5,000 visitors per day during holidays, including the National Day holiday and May Day holiday.

It was not until 2016 that Beitang started to explore tourism development based on the village's flower and nursery stock industry.

In 2017, two exhibitions featuring cherry and chrysanthemum blossoms were staged in the village on a trial basis, which proved to be a success, according to Jin Guohai, deputy head of Beitang village.

The increasing popularity of floral displays has also facilitated the appearance of tourism facilities like homestays and restaurants, and bolstered development of tourism-related products including agricultural products and tourism souvenirs.

He Xiue, a local resident, runs a restaurant in Beitang, which can earn 2,000 ($307.7) to 3,000 yuan in revenue per day during peak tourism season.

Her success epitomizes the village's transformation from a poverty-stricken place to a hit rural tourism site.

From 2017 to 2020, the village's per capita income had grown from 1,000 yuan to more than 30,000 yuan, while its collective income jumped from zero to over 6 million yuan.