Ningxia's Zhongwei offers a picturesque view of stars and desert. [Photo/Ningxia Daily]

"Hometown of Stars", a new cultural and tourism brand launched by Ningxia Hui autonomous region, has transformed stargazing into a unique romantic experience.

Leveraging its unique stargazing conditions, such as nearly 300 days of clear weather annually and low light pollution levels, Ningxia has integrated stargazing tourism with local specialty industries and cultures since 2019, giving birth to new business forms such as stargazing tours, stargazing camping, and stargazing photography.

At present, Ningxia has hosted multiple national stargazing tourism conferences and launched 12 themed stargazing routes. Each route boasts its unique charm, attracting stargazers from all over the country to experience the serene night sky and the beauty of a starry night.

Desert Star Hotel opened in 2020 and has since continued to explore starry sky tourism and vacation. It has built an array-type astronomical observation station and launched experience projects such as the starry sky classroom and naked-eye stargazing. The hotel receives over 100,000 visitors annually, generating revenue of nearly 150 million yuan ($22.09 million).