Tourism brings prosperity to residents near forest park in NW China's Shaanxi

Tourism at Niubeiliang National Forest Park in the Qinling Mountains has brought wealth to residents nearby and lifted many of them out of poverty, according to a local official on Wednesday.

Meng Ruyi, deputy director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Zhashui county in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, said of some 500 farm stay business participants in the county, about 300 are near Niubeiliang National Forest Park, a natural reserve and 4A scenic spot in the country.

"The take-off of tourism in the park in recent years has greatly boosted the income of residents nearby, as the average annual revenue of each farm stay business near the park reached 200,000 yuan ($28,680) last year," he said.

Meng added tourists come from all over the country, especially from Xi'an, Shaanxi's capital city, which is only 70 kilometers away from the park. They travel there for the beautiful scenery with green mountains, clean waters and fresh air.

In the past, many residents near the park made a living by lumbering. Now, realizing that a good ecosystem and environment could bring more tourists and income, residents have a stronger sense of protecting the environment.

Before President Xi Jinping made a visit to the forest park in April, about 750 trips could be made to the park each day. Now the number increased to 2,000 a day, despite the fact that the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak hasn't faded away.

To ensure long-lasting development of the tourist destination, Meng said Zhashui county government has taken a series of actions, including collecting information on all trees more than 100 years old for better management and protection and installing infrared cameras to supervise tourist behavior and stop them from harming plants and animals.