Countryside areas transformed over past 20 years
China DailyEditor's note: In a series of reports, China Daily explores the pursuit of high-quality development nationwide. CHINA DAILY Program to revive environment brings impressive benefits The May Day holiday last month was a hectic time for Chen Jinwei, with the homestay his family runs in Zhejiang province catering to 56 visitors and bringing in revenue of around 130,000 yuan. "It was good business," said Chen, 57, who comes from Xiaye village, Xianju county. Shenxianju Tourism Group, which manages the site, said nearly 1 million visitors were drawn to the scenic area in the first five months of this year, with total revenue reaching more than 170 million yuan, more than tripling the figure for the same period in 2019. With an improved environment and infrastructure in villages such as Xiaye, in 2010, the authorities in Xianju began to invest heavily on renovating and building new houses for rural residents, turning some of these properties into homestays to benefit from the rapidly growing tourism industry.