Lavender garden helps tourism to bloom

Visitors marvel at the fields of lavender at the Ziyun Huaxi garden, one of the many rural tourism attractions that have been developed at Dalian over the past few years. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"Sixty percent of the lavender from the garden is used to make products," said Lyu Dongsheng, deputy manager of Ziyun Huaxi.

"The products and the ticket sales each account for half of the garden's revenue."

Jiang Shanshan, the town's deputy head, said, "Xiangying is turning from an ordinary, agriculture-oriented rural area into a floral town.

"Another major floral species we cultivate here is the moth orchid," Jiang added. "Thanks to tourism, the income of the farmers has been greatly boosted."

Ren Shuyan, 44, used to work as a physician in the downtown area of Dalian, but has now turned her two-story home into a guesthouse for the growing number of tourists.

Ren and her husband, a former rescue worker, both quit their jobs to devote themselves to the business.

"The income that my husband and I used to make throughout the year can now be made in four or five months," Ren said.

"We serve delicious homemade meals with homegrown vegetables. Our place is clean, and we charge only 100 yuan per night. We can easily make 100,000 yuan per year."

Tourist attractions in other rural parts of the port city also attract crowds.

Lu Lin, the vice-mayor, said many residents are enjoying increased income from agricultural tourism.

"In 2013, about 10.8 million visitors were attracted to Dalian for rural tourism, generating 5.5 billion yuan in revenue," he said.

"Dalian has initiated more than 100 sightseeing agriculture projects, each with investment of more than 100 million yuan. In addition, 40 towns and 100 villages have developed tourism destinations with their own characteristics."

Chen Yuli, the head of Xianrendong, Dalian's drinking water source, said the town has prioritized environmental protection over industrial development. It is now taking advantage of its good environment to boost tourism and help local farmers to increase their incomes. It attracted 700,000 visitors last year.

"By introducing tourism projects, we are helping farmers to get rich," Chen said.