Zhang Jinhai once lived a quiet life in Xiashuangtangjian Village, in the Beijing countryside -- then he opened the "Blue Cloud Holiday Villa" in his home.
Last year, over 1,000 tourists from the urban districts visited Zhang's home, stayed overnight in his guest rooms, equipped with toilets, showers, TV and telephone, and enjoyed home-made food. They brought almost 50,000 yuan in cash to the rural home.
Rural families living in the municipal boundaries of the Chinese capital have turned to tourism as more and more urbanites have found the perfect way to relax themselves by spending quiet weekends in villages.
The booming holiday economy has opened up a new source of income for local farmers who used to depend on growing crops, but the amount of farmland continues to shrink in the urbanization era.
Fang Zhibin, another villager from Xishuiyu Village, Huairou County, said tourism had saved family from poverty.
In the mountain area of Huairou County, 2,500 rural families are engaged in tourism. Last year, they entertained 2.5 million tourists and earned 240 million yuan, according to official figures.
The booming holiday economy has, in turn, changed the lives of farmers with modern plumbing and toilets replacing the old, unsanitary facilities in remote villages.
(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2002)
