The Binzhou-Laiwu Expressway straddles the valley where Qiaolingqian village is nestled on May 6, 2010. The expressway has linked the village and the outside world since the 1990s. LIU XINXI/FOR CHINA DAILY

Qiaolingqian is a village nestled in mountains in Boshan district, Zibo, Shandong province.

Home to beautiful scenery such as karst caves, the mountains once kept the village unknown to the outside world.

But everything started to change in the 1990s, when an expressway was built to link the village and the other side of the mountain. It was a milestone in the village's history of development.

The expressway, which extended from two lanes in each direction later to four lanes, has made the Qiaolingqian known to more people and brought visitors into the village.

The Qiaolingqian scenic area has become a provincial-level and part of a national-level tourist attraction.

As people from outside come in for beautiful mountain and countryside views, tourism has helped the village develop.

Changes have been brought to many aspects of villagers' daily lives－convenient transportation, decent jobs and access to internet, to name but a few improvements.

Although they are living in a mountain village, the villagers enjoy just as much of a modern lifestyle as urban residents do.

A photographer who was born and raised in the village has used his camera to document how his hometown has changed over the years.

The villager, Liu Xinxi, recently published a photo album featuring pictures he took of the village. Here are some of his most interesting photos.

People escape hot weather and spend their leisure time playing mahjong and drinking tea in a river on July 26, 2016. LIU XINXI/FOR CHINA DAILY

Workers of a printing company pack product at a workshop on Aug 22, 2020. There are more than 40 such companies in the village. LIU XINXI/FOR CHINA DAILY

People hang photos taken by Liu Xinxi on stone walls for display along the road in Qiaolingqian on Oct 27, 2021. LIU XINXI/FOR CHINA DAILY

A bridegroom born in the village and non-native bride celebrate their wedding in the bridegroom's hometown on May 27, 2015. LIU XINXI/FOR CHINA DAILY

Villagers watch the Peking Opera projected on the wall on Dec 21, 2020. The combination of digital devices and ancient old buildings contribute part to villagers' new lifestyles. LIU XINXI/FOR CHINA DAILY

People carry items on wheelbarrow for a move on Mar 19, 2017, in advance of additional construction on the Binzhou-Laiwu Expressway. LIU XINXI/FOR CHINA DAILY