"Go to the countryside." During the long vacation, many people have set their travel destinations in rural areas far away from the hustle and bustle, staying in farmhouses, tasting folk customs, watching stars, and feeling the charm of the countryside.
As an important part of county tourism, rural tourism has ushered in iterative upgrades and gradually become popular in recent years. With the integrated development of urban and rural areas, the ecological background, folk customs, and pastoral texture of the countryside have been rediscovered, and diverse values have continued to be released.
The countryside is no longer just a distant scenery, but has become a "nostalgia" that can be touched, experienced, and consumed.
More and more urban tourists no longer flock to popular scenic spots, but take the initiative to go to the rural spaces hidden deep in the mountains, on the banks of rivers, and in ancient villages and lanes. Among the mountains, farmhouses, fields and fireworks, they enjoy the beautiful life derived from the countryside and nature.
A "tour to the countryside" characterized by in-depth experience, short-term sojourn, and cultural immersion is becoming a new cultural tourism phenomenon that is booming in the process of rural revitalization.
The "upgraded version" of rural tourism
The autumn wind blows by the Qingzhang River, and the fields along the bank are covered with heavy corn and rice. The distant mountains are dotted with persimmon trees, giving the autumn colors different shades of red.
Last month, a group of teachers and students from the art major of Luliang College came to the North China International Sketching Base in Zecheng Village, Matian Town, Zuoquan County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, and started a sketching journey.
Young people setting up drawing boards can be seen everywhere under ancient trees, at the base of old house walls, and beside rice fields. They painted the scenery in the quiet ancient village of Taihang, and tourists looking at the scenery also regarded them as scenery.
With the in-depth development of rural revitalization and urban-rural integration, the ecological, cultural and other values of rural areas are constantly being explored. Rural areas in various regions rely on resource endowments, innovate experience forms, continue to provide iterations, and create differentiated new rural living scenarios. In the early years, the single farmhouse entertainment model of eating farm food, picking and sightseeing is being replaced by the upgraded "countryside tour".
According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in the first quarter of this year, the country's rural tourism received a total of 793 million visitors, a year-on-year increase of 12.2%; the total reception revenue was 457 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.9%, and all indicators exceeded the national domestic tourism market in the same period.
Unlike Zecheng Village, which attracts tourists with its rural scenery, Lingchuan County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, welcomes visitors with its "coolness". Many people from outside the Taihang Mountains regard this place as their first choice for summer vacation. They go to the villages here for short trips or stay permanently, just to enjoy the healing of the "mountain water oxygen bar".
In the Xixi Ecological Park of Lingchang Village, Chongwen Town, with a forest coverage rate of more than 80%, among the cloud-shrouded Taihang Mountain forests, the Xixili Kangyang B&B with white walls and black tiles looms. B&B manager Wang Yifan will return to his hometown to start a business in 2024. “There are more and more tourists who immerse themselves in local ecological culture,” he said.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays this year, there are almost no vacancies in B&Bs. A guest from Anhui has come here to escape the summer heat for three consecutive years. He said, "I like this slow rural life." After returning home, he and the host of the B&B often send special products to each other.
In the first half of this year, Lingchuan County received more than 5 million tourists and generated tourism revenue of more than 2.2 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 26.88% and 12.51% respectively. The homestay industry directly created employment for 12,000 people, and 23,000 people in the county received "cultural tourism meals".
In Qinshui County, a hundred kilometers away, the "Visiting Tour" driven by cultural IP has also attracted attention. In the past two years, Shuli Town has appeared in Yuchi Village, Jiafeng Town, the hometown of Zhao Shuli, the founder of "Yam Egg Pie".
Tourist Ms. Wang met the NPC actor who played the heroine Xiao Qin in "Xiao Erhei's Marriage" on Gudu Water Street. During the conversation, the actor Zhao Shuli stepped forward and brought her into that turbulent era. "I used to only know that "Xiao Erhei's Marriage" is a story about resistance to feudalism. Now I have a different feeling. I really want to pick up the book and read it again." Ms. Wang said.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays this year, 220,000 tourists came to Shuli Town to experience the "local culture" of "yam eggs". The town earned more than 9 million yuan from this, driving the surrounding comprehensive income to more than 40 million yuan.
On the banks of the Yellow River in northern Shanxi, next to Qiankun Bay, which is called "the most beautiful loop in the hundred-mile long gorge" by "China National Geographic", Qiankun Bay Village in Pianguan County, Xinzhou City is becoming a new choice for study and vacation. Xue Wanni, the manager of Qiankun Bay’s “Suji”, received more than 20 research groups in the summer of 2026.
In the evening, the staff set up a canopy on the observation deck to customize a Yellow River picnic for tourists. As night fell, the Milky Way emerged, and the crowd suddenly burst into "wow".
Qianqingtang Village in Linxian County, deep in the Luliang Mountains, is famous for its rice dumplings. It also attracts thousands of tourists for its "zongzi making". Some family visitors awakened traditional Dragon Boat Festival memories while making rice dumplings. Qingtang rice dumplings, a nationally famous and high-quality new agricultural product, have become the core IP for attracting tourists to the countryside.
Jincheng Situ Village, a former abandoned coal gangue mountain, has been transformed into a small town called Situ. It relies on the traditional skill of "forging iron flowers", with various traditional snacks and NPC interactions. It will receive 2.2 million tourists in 2025.
Looking for "Nostalgia"
Why "travel to the countryside"?
During the interview, many people said the word "nostalgia" to the reporter. As Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, said: "Tourists not only seek beautiful scenery when traveling, but also experience a beautiful life."
In Sanwan Village, Pinglu County, Yuncheng City, Du Fengyun, a photography enthusiast from Xi'an, fell in love with bird photography after his retirement. He stayed in Sanwan Village for many days every year. "As soon as the swans come, I can't help but run over." Relying on the swan ecological resources, villager Xie Lixia's farmhouse can receive more than 100 tourists from all over the country every day during the peak tourist season.
This is the story of "Looking for Beauty". The ecological beauty attracts tourists and benefits the villagers.
At Yunduo Station in Lingqiu County, Datong City, Shanxi Province, Ms. Ge's family from Shaanxi deliberately set aside time for rural tourism in their itinerary. Opening the window of the B&B, one can see the rolling hills and gurgling rivers, leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind. Ms. Ge, who was born in the countryside and lives in the city, found her tense spirit healed by nature. "I just want to return to my true nature and let nature nourish my tense spirit and restore energy."
This is the story of "finding peace". The slowness and quietness of the countryside is an "interruption" to the fast-paced life and can provide a sense of relaxation and belonging that the city cannot provide.
During the National Day holiday, the ancient town of Fencheng in Xiangfen County, Linfen, staged a series of wonderful folk performances for tourists. Huang Zhengxiang, the 64-year-old coloratura drum inheritor, stood in the crowd and heard the cheers of tourists around him. "Everyone thinks it's rare to see such a Nuo dance in the north." Many tourists said.
Coloratura drums are a rare form of living Nuo dance in the north and were listed on the provincial intangible cultural heritage list in 2011. This private team consists of more than 60 villagers and the youngest learner is only 12 years old. During every holiday, coloratura drums go out of the villages and are performed in ancient towns and scenic spots, allowing the ancient Nuo culture to go out of books and documents and become an immersive folk custom feast that tourists can watch and empathize with.
In Suzhuang, Xi Town, Gaoping, Jincheng, the well-preserved ancient courtyards of the Ming and Qing Dynasties have been transformed into a traditional wedding experience hall, where hydrangea throwing, wedding ceremonies, and coming-of-age ceremonies are performed in turn. At the "Yandi Lantern Festival" during the Spring Festival in 2026, traditional customs and modern light and shadow were intertwined, attracting tourists to enjoy the lanterns, visit the park, and check in to spend money. The comprehensive consumption income reached more than 5 million yuan.
This is the story of "finding your roots". More and more cultural elements allow tourists to feel the power of local land, and also provide new soil for inheritance.
"The countryside preserves vivid intangible cultural heritage skills, simple lifestyles, and green natural foundations. This is the underlying reason for the rise of 'countryside tours.'" Xu Hong, dean of the School of Tourism and Service at Nankai University, summarized this phenomenon as "the improvement of popular cultural consciousness." The tourism market is shifting from visiting well-known scenic spots to cultural experiences.
Wang Jinwei, a professor at the School of Tourism Science at Beijing International Studies University, analyzed from the demand side: "Quite a lot of people have changed their vacation destinations from big cities and major scenic spots to rural areas, and they hope to return to the atmosphere of life, fireworks, and treasure villages." He believes that current rural tourism is trending towards in-depth tourism and immersive tourism, and the consumption scenarios are richer and more three-dimensional.
These footsteps of "running home" all point in the same direction, looking for and participating in "nostalgia".
Zhang Houwen, chairman of Shanxi Qingtang Food Co., Ltd., described his experiential service as "a leaf wrapping nostalgia." Providing tourists with the experience of "awakening the cultural memory of the Dragon Boat Festival" has allowed the village to welcome hundreds of tourists every day. In Yunqiu Mountain, Xiangning County, Linfen City, peeling corn and spinning persimmons are popular among children of all ages, and the "work" is also "addictive" to tourists. Zhou Yajing, a tourist from Anhui, heard about ironwork for the first time. Her curiosity was aroused by the "Oriental Fireworks Show" and she rushed to Situ Village. She was deeply shocked by the traditional skills.
New fruits of beautiful rural construction
This kind of "nostalgia" consumption is not simply nostalgia, but a lifestyle of transposition, and it is a two-way emotional exchange between host and guest. Tourists take away the healing and cultural memories of the mountains and countryside, and the countryside activates the dormant local resources and awakens the inner vitality of the countryside between welcomes and departures.
The rise of "hometown travel" is not accidental. It is rooted in the deep soil of rural revitalization, nourished by the deep integration of urban and rural areas, and is a new fruit of the construction of beautiful countryside.
In the past, the mountains and rivers inside and outside were huge, the ditches were deep, and the villages were far away. Some villages and beautiful scenery were "raised in the boudoir and unknown to the people". Improvements in infrastructure have led to fundamental changes in rural accessibility.
With the advancement of rural revitalization in recent years, the infrastructure has been increasingly improved. Shi Shuai, deputy director of the Resource Development Division of the Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, told reporters that as an important measure for rural revitalization, rural tourism has become an important choice in some places. In recent years, many "small but beautiful" new rural tourism formats have emerged in Shanxi, which are more in line with people's differentiated needs.
The countryside is no longer far away. It took Shanxi seven years to build three No. 1 tourist highways, the Yellow River, the Great Wall, and the Taihang Highway, with a total length of 13,000 kilometers. They connect 531 national security units, nearly 1,000 scenic spots, and more than 5,600 villages in the province, becoming Shanxi's "Thousands of Miles of Mountains and Rivers" landscape road.
If the road is open, the industry will prosper. Each tourist highway is not only a scenic line, but also a development line that activates the countryside and enriches the people. Shanxi has built 60 rural stations along tourist highways, adhering to the integrated promotion of "roads, scenery, villages and industries", bringing revitalization opportunities to a large number of villages.
Busan Village in Gaoping City builds a health care station based on traditional villages. It will receive more than 1.84 million visitors in 2025 and achieve revenue of more than 35 million yuan. The integration of transportation and culture and tourism has allowed Taihang Pearl to step out of the "purdah".
Key rural tourism villages and towns have become Shanxi cultural tourism’s new trump card in assisting rural revitalization. Up to now, Shanxi has cultivated 39 national rural tourism key villages, 6 key towns, and 351 provincial-level rural tourism key villages. In the first quarter of 2026, the key rural tourism villages in Luliang City alone received nearly 2 million tourists.
The rise of "countryside tourism" also has profound two-way value for rural revitalization and the cultural tourism market.
Xu Hong believes that "touring to the countryside" realizes the two-way flow of urban and rural elements. City capital, creativity, and talents go to the countryside, and the countryside exports ecology, local culture, and simple lifestyles to the city. It is a vivid practice of two-way empowerment between urban and rural areas.
"Visiting to the countryside" is constantly enriching domestic cultural tourism supply, reconstructing the domestic tourism map, forming a complementary pattern of "large scenic spots + rural micro-vacation", and lengthening the tourism consumption chain.
“Visiting rural areas” has become an important way for some villages to activate endogenous power. At the Zecheng Sketching Base, more than 90% of the employees are from local people, and the monthly income of the villagers is stable at several thousand yuan. Villager Zhao Weihong works as a salesperson at Laoshu Coffee House during the peak season, and then moves to guest house cleaning at a B&B in the off-season. The "Qinhe Legend Park" launched in Shuli Town in June this year has directly created more than 100 jobs and indirectly promoted the employment of more than 500 people. Xiao Lu, a villager who once went out to do odd jobs, returned to his hometown to open a specialty snack bar, which has increased the income of his family.
In addition to strengthening the village collective economy, the cultural tourism industry encourages villagers to invest in land and houses for dividends, and revitalize dormant resources such as idle ancient dwellings and old cave dwellings. It also further promotes the effective protection of ancient villages and intangible cultural heritage. Some traditional cultures are passed down from generation to generation with the help of tourism scenes. Villagers have gone from passively protecting their hometown to actively exploring the value of their hometown.
While retaining people, the countryside also retains culture, memories and hopes.
Make "Visiting Hometown Tour" more exciting
"Rural tourism" is booming, injecting strong momentum into rural revitalization. But behind the popularity, a series of deep-seated shortcomings and bottlenecks are gradually emerging. If you want to convert short-term traffic into long-term "retention", you need to face existing problems and explore sustainable and diversified development paths.
Shao Qi, an associate researcher at the Shanxi Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that at present, the upgrading of rural cultural tourism still has problems such as homogeneity, simple copying of Internet celebrity formats, and insufficient interest connection to a certain extent.
Grassroots practitioners feel the same way. Zhang Houwen did not shy away from his worries after the success of Qingtang Zongzi Experience: "The reception capacity in the village cannot keep up. People come, and then what? I think the second half of cultural tourism is more important. Service and experience have to keep up."
In this regard, Xu Hong suggested that the development of rural tourism should prevent excessive urbanization, "to achieve 'sharing between hosts and guests, and to advance together', balance the relationship between rural characteristics and tourist needs, retain the fundamental background of the countryside, and retain the life style of rural people themselves." She proposed that the countryside must preserve its folk customs, "preserve the local ritual and handicraft content, and retain the 'childlike' interest, so that people can find the authenticity when they come to the countryside."
Looking forward to the future, Shao Qi believes that in the future, rural tourism should rely on local characteristic resources to create differentiated IP, develop lightweight and high-quality products, and transform the operating mechanism into a village-wide operation model of "village collective + professional operation team + villagers taking shares", and at the same time use digital in-depth empowerment.
Shi Shuai emphasized the importance of planning and leadership. "Rural tourism also needs unified planning and management to avoid disharmonious and unsightly places. On the whole, it should be carried out from point to point, not from surface to surface, to avoid disorderly competition." He reminded in particular, "Rural tourism is most afraid of rushing in. It is only one of the paths for rural revitalization and is suitable for places with unique resource endowments or natural conditions."
Let the countryside be "seen" and more importantly, make the countryside a "treasure". When cities and villages travel in both directions under the link of tourism, the meaning of "countryside travel" has transcended tourism itself. It is a vivid footnote to urban-rural integration, a powerful engine for rural revitalization, and a two-way empowerment of “good life.”
