Zhang believes that improving the environment and basic facilities is the precondition for tourism industry. Wall paintings on residential houses and a gallery featuring pottery art in traditional buildings make fill the ordinary village with cultural charms.

An old house in Dongbao village of Xianju is transformed into a gallery for pottery art pieces. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn] 

Moreover, at the entrance to Dongbao there is an industrial park specializing in lotus plantation that provides various choices for visitors, including sightseeing, tasting local food and playing interesting games on the farmland. Zhang said they plan to present different sceneries in different seasons, for example, rape flowers in spring and lotus in summer. 

Not far away from Dongbao village, rows of houses in similar styles tell another story of Xianju's rural tourism – the homestay sector. Shimengyang village is considered as the backyard of Shenxianju, a 5A national scenic area. Years ago, people in the village were enlightened to promote a business mode combining catering and accommodation. The outlooks of the houses in the village were refurbished and different types of homestays began to take off. 

According to a staff member from local government, there have been 102 homestays in Shimengyang, which enables the village to receive over 5,000 tourists.

Houses in Shimengyang village of Xianju county turn into homestays open to tourists. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]