Many villages in Tonglu County in east China's Zhejiang province provide homestay services. (Photo/zjol.com.cn)
While the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang is set to be thrust into the international spotlight next month as the host of the G20 sessions, small communities on the outskirts of the city are already seeing a growing number of tourists. [Special coverage]
Just an hour's drive from the 'hustle-and-bustle' of downtown Hangzhou takes you into a completely different world: small villages steeped in traditional Chinese culture.
"My friends and I drove here to stay for the weekend. We came to take photos of the beautiful scenery, drink tea, eat local food and stay in local bed-and-breakfasts. It is a way to get rid of the pressure that gets built up during the week."
For years, people living in the rural areas outside Hangzhou either stayed to work their land as farmers, or moved into the city in a bid to find work.
However, local officials say that over the past 4-years or so, many of those who left have decided to return, realizing they have an opportunity to make money by providing homestay opportunities.
Zhou Zhonglian is head of Huanxi Village in Tonglu County.
"We now have over 50 households managing over 700 beds for visitors. Over the weekend, these family hotels are crowded with tourists. You can hardly find a bed to stay in. Most families can now earn 50,000 to 60,000 yuan a year. Some can earn over 100,000 yuan. There are even families that can earn almost 400,000 yuan each year."
One of the main reasons for the sharp rise in tourists to Huanxi developed in 2010 when the village introduced an ecological wetland system that purifies the region's waste water.
This makes Huanxi somewhat unique in China.
In most Chinese villages, household waste water flows directly into the local rivers without being properly treated, often damaging the environment and making living conditions unpleasant for people in the area.
On top of the waste-water treatment program, villagers in Huanxi have also managed to convert some 80 acres of rice paddy fields into lotus ponds.
While much more attractive than rice paddies, lotus ponds in Huanxi are also part of the village's history.
Many of the villagers are descendants of ancient Chinese philosopher Zhou Dunyi, who lived during the Song dynasty.
His famous prose on lotus flowers has been included in Chinese textbooks for decades.
Beyond the beauty of the lotus flowers, the ponds also provide the seeds used to make a special form of Chinese liquor Baijiu, which is also providing another cultural and economic boost to the region.
