A cafe in Zhujialin Countryside Complex in East China's Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tourism development in Yinan county in Linyi, East China's Shandong province, has helped transform its once dilapidated mountain villages into idyllic resorts for family road trips.

The county has invested approximately 600 million yuan ($87 million) in tourism infrastructure construction and environmental remediation, including building and upgrading over 40 highways, establishing bus routes to tourist destinations across the county and restoring 18 rivers.

An iconic example is the Zhujialin Countryside Complex, an area covering 2,870 hectares, incorporating 23 villages and 16,000 residents. Though in the form of a holiday resort, the complex is open to the public and free of charge.

The old buildings have been renovated into bed-and-breakfasts, cafes and small cinemas, yet retain their historic, rustic ambiance. The museums and galleries display regional handicrafts, including paper-cutting, embroidery and rattan works, and fresh farm produce and related creative products are available for purchase.

A glimpse of the Zhisheng Hot Spring Resort in Yinan county, East China's Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The local government has launched policies favorable to companies and talents, so far attracting 18 entrepreneurial teams and landing 26 industrial projects.

Xu Congjiang, chairman of the Zhujialin Rural Construction and Development Co Ltd, said the company has developed 42 family-friendly projects, such as specimen making, plant-based fabric dyeing and sachet bag making.

Five villages in the complex area were listed as provincial-level impoverished villages, incorporating 2,043 impoverished households, all of which have now shaken off poverty.

Another mountainous village in Yinan county, Changshanzhuang village, has been transformed into a national 4A scenic spot, with its film production site producing more than 300 films and TV series.

The village also established several museums and memorial halls centered on the history of the Communist Party of China, as well as a landscape sketch site able to accommodate 900 university students.

The Zhisheng Hot Spring Resort in East China's Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

More than 2,000 people from surrounding villages have been working in the village and its tourist sites, and in 2019 the village's average per capita disposable income has exceeded 15,000 yuan ($2176).

Other tourist sites in the county include Zhuquan village, which lies in a vast bamboo forest, the Zhisheng Hot Spring Resort, also a national 4A scenic spot, and the Songshan Hot Spring Health Care Resort that is under construction, as the combination of tourism and health care has become a key strategy for the county.

The Zhujialin area in East China's Shandong province has been transformed into a countryside tourist complex. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A re-creation of the traditional wedding scene in Zhuquan village, Yinan county in East China's Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]