Tourism set to drive community's growth

Once a sleepy village with poor agriculture productivity, Bijiashangliu community in Licang district, Qingdao, has been transformed into a chic tourist destination as a result of the 2014 Qingdao International Horticulture Expo, which was held on the village's Baiguo mountain.

Frustrated by the barren, unproductive land, local villagers tried to develop a quarry in the mountain in the 1980s.

The venture was, however, less profitable than anticipated and also damaged the environment.

By the 1990s, the villagers abandoned the quarry and began growing fruit trees instead. Eventually, the Baiguo Mountain Eco-agriculture Park was built on a 3.5-square kilometer stretch of land.

By 2015, Bijiashangliu had planted a total of 260,000 trees including papaya, kiwi fruit, grape, hawthorn, Chinese date, pomegranate and cherry.

A 10-kilometer hiking trail has also been established for visitors, as well as a 200-meter flowery trail.

The Qingdao government then earmarked the spot where the horticultural expo would be hosted.

The success of the event further boosted tourism to the area.

"We shall never kill the goose that lays the golden egg. The eco-friendly environment and the green mountain are our magical geese which deserve our ultimate care and protection," said Bi Shijun, Party chief of the community committee.

The government also built a new community compound nearby to replace villagers' houses that were demolished to make way for the horticultural expo.

In addition, more developed infrastructure, including a kindergarten, a road network that reaches to the downtown area and 100,000 square meters of commercial space, will be built.

Bi said the government will leverage the area's advantage of its supreme natural environment for further development.

Average negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter in the area could reach 3,300, and there is no water pollution.

"The eco-tourism sector will thrive and this will result in remarkable economic returns for the local community," Bi said.

It is also hoped that many young people who left the area in search of work will return to embrace the opportunities generated by the booming local tourism industry.

huqing@chinadaily.com.cn