Yanqing, a national ecological demonstration base, will be one of the sites for the 2022 Winter Olympics. In the past four years, with an investment of 30 million yuan ($4.71 million), Yanqing has turned a once farm-field valley into an attractive place with beautiful names such as the “Most Beautiful Country Road”. The State Administration of Tourism figures show rural tourism has seen an annual growth rate of 20 percent in recent years, and tourists visiting the countryside made up 70 percent of the domestic tourism last year, generating 320 billion yuan in revenue. Naturally, the local communities are benefiting from these cash injections. Sihai town is just one example of a piece of paradise that is harvesting the fruits of more jobs and rising incomes from economic succes. Tourism and local culture have managed to forge an ideal partnership, which in turn has helped fuel the economy. This is a model worth looking at.
