Blazing a new path to prosperity in rural Zhejiang

Chen approached the local government to propose it capitalize on the settlement's Taoist culture, mountain landscapes and former coalmine sites to develop tourism.

Local tourism, transportation and forestry departments invested over 10 million yuan to develop the travel industry. Authorities also adopted favorable policies and a comprehensive tourism-development plan.

Yijinjing township has become a popular destination for sightseeing, health tourism, corporate training and "agritainment", including fruit-picking.

It has opened guesthouses, restaurants and teahouses, and built toilets for travelers.

"What's even better is that farmers are developing a general awareness of tourism development," Chen says.

Nearly every household has started to plant trees and flowers to beautify the area and is devoting spare land to the travel sector, he adds.

Xishantou is another village in Tiantai that has benefited from recent tourism growth.

A half-hour drive up a spiraling mountain road leads to the settlement, which hosts the province's largest persimmon forest.

Yet the fruits previously didn't make it to the market since the village is remote and little-known, and its only inhabitants are a few elderly farmers.

But demand for the fruit has increased since Tiantai's government hosted persimmon festivals during the past two years.

"Tourists drive here to pick persimmons every day in October," local official Lin Guogan says.

"Many villagers don't focus on farming anymore. They show tourists around, and offer food, drinks and services."

Tiantai has registered 300 tour guides, and upgraded its tourism toilets and sewage system.

It has earmarked 30 million yuan a year for tourism development and planned over 100 projects during the 2016-20 period, involving an additional 30 billion yuan in investment.

Tiantai's tourism income reached 11.17 billion yuan in the first six months of this year, up 18.4 percent compared with the same period last year.

"Tiantai will become an even greater place to explore with major tourism projects and high-speed rail connections on the horizon," says deputy director of Tiantai's tourism development commission, Jiang Chaoyong.