A traditional rural house in Yangcheng county. The private sector in Yangcheng county, Shanxi province is a vital force in pushing forward the "beautiful village" project, especially in promoting local tourism. [Photo/china.com.cn]

The government of Shanxi province has attracted total investment of 11 billion yuan ($1.65 billion) to drive economic development in rural areas.

The "beautiful village" project was launched in 2013, with financial support of 1.46 billion yuan from the government and investment of 9.54 billion yuan from the private capital.

So far, the project has covered 330 villages in 36 counties, benefiting around 530,000 farmers.

"The ‘beautiful village' project has been a hot topic in Shanxi," said Wang Shangfu, a senior official at Shanxi Provincial Department of Finance.

"It is also a vital platform for poverty alleviation in the province," he added.

In the past two years, the project has not only promoted the infrastructure and industries in rural areas, but also provided various ways for farmers to enhance their living standards.

Grain and walnut planting, rural cultural tourism, and rural e-commerce have all contributed to increasing the incomes of farmers.

Yongji, a county-level city, invested a total of 381 million yuan in 46 tourism projects, including the construction of a folk culture street and a lavender garden, creating 15,000 jobs.

Five villages within the city's jurisdiction saw per capita disposable income reach 13,400 yuan last year, with the village’s collective income growing 60 percent.