Summer retreats boom in village in Xifeng

A carefully-decorated guestroom in Li'an village. [Photo/WeChat account of Xifeng county]

Since the beginning of summer, Li'an village in Xifeng county has become a popular destination for sightseeing, summer retreats, leisure, and vacation, thanks to its easy accessibility, cool climate, healthy environment, and rich tourism offerings. The village's guesthouses currently accommodate over 140 people, with an occupancy rate exceeding 70 percent.

At the village's Nanshan Dongliju Inn, Le Liang, a tourist from Changsha, Hunan province, said, "The air here is good, and the weather is very cool. I've been here for two years already, and I'll come again next year."

Meanwhile, Zhang Yongchao, another tourist from Changsha, said that after retiring, he visited many places and ultimately chose to spend his summers in Li'an village as the village boasts a high oxygen and negative ion content and it's a pleasant place to live.

"We have so many tourists coming to our village for the summer this year that I have to refer some to my neighbors," said Zhao Jianying, the owner of Dongli Xiaoyuan Inn, who has been running her guesthouse for six years.

When her guesthouse is full, she arranges for guests to stay with her neighbors, thereby boosting the local economy. The income from the guesthouse has significantly improved Zhao's household finances.

In recent years, Li'an village has focused on developing rural summer vacation tourism. With the continuous improvement of infrastructure, some villagers have converted their homes into guesthouses to accommodate summer tourists. The village is currently home to 17 guesthouses that can host up to 200 people.

Additionally, the surrounding areas of the village offer camping, leisure sightseeing, hot springs, children's playgrounds, and educational and training activities. Here, visitors can enjoy the charm of both urban and rural life, making it an ideal place for a summer retreat.