Central China city channels cultural heritage for economic development

Zhumadian city in Central China's Henan province is harnessing its cultural heritage to create more economic value for better regional development.

The city has planned 8 billion yuan ($1.13 billion) in investment to build a culture and tourism industrial park totaling 224 hectares. Upon completion, the park is expected to receive over 5 million visits per year, offer more than 10,000 jobs, and generate revenue exceeding 1.5 billion yuan, according to local government.

The move is aligned with the nation's call for enhancement at the local legislative level to address more problems, make people's lives more enjoyable and communities more prosperous.

Huangjia Yizhan, or royal motel, a tourism destination with buildings in ancient Chinese style, also is a very important sector of the culture and tourism industrial park, and has seen about 6 million visits since its opening over a year ago.

To date, it has created more than 3,000 jobs and over 50 million yuan in revenue for 219 businesses.