Jiangsu tourism benefits from growing appeal

Now travelers can watch performances, enjoy local cuisine and buy interesting souvenirs at Mazhuang, including small intricate satchels for perfume.

More than 300 villagers work in the satchel industry. Their products have been sold to many countries, such as Britain, Canada and Italy.

"I have been stitching perfume satchels since I was a teenage girl," said Wang Xiuying, who is now in her 80s. "We have plenty of orders and many villagers don't have to leave their hometown to work in big cities to make money."

Jiangsu authorities plan to support more villages to develop high-quality rural tourism and develop more rural tourism products.

"More than 300 key rural tourism products have been introduced this year," said Yang. "A total of 50 tourist routes and 108 characteristic tourism activities have also been recommended to attract travelers.

"We hope that the total income of rural tourism in Jiangsu can reach 1 trillion yuan during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25)," Yang said. He added that Jiangsu will continue to protect the environment and firmly believe in practicing the notion that "green mountains and clear water are as good as mountains of gold and silver", which was first declared by President Xi Jinping during his visit to Zhejiang.

"We will also continue to combine the development of rural tourism with the development of many other areas, including agriculture, transportation, education and sports,"Yang said. "More rural landscapes, bicycle parks, sites for students to research and experience and caravan camping parks will be built."

According to him, the protection of rural cultural relics and cultural heritage will be enhanced to bring a unique experience to travelers.