A view of Yaoli village in Huzhou's Nanxun district. [Photo/hz66.com] 

Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang province recently launched a campaign to promote common prosperity through the development of rural tourism.

The campaign is expected to benefit 727 scenic villages in the city and raise the incomes of 320,000 rural residents.

Rural tourism has in recent years gained traction in Huzhou and resulted in several places receiving a facelift. One such example is Yaoli village in Huzhou's Nanxun district.

Yaoli, which was previously heavily polluted by waste from pigsties, is now a provincial 3A scenic village following the government's efforts to shift the development focus from pig farming to tourism.

To leverage its rich history in pottery-making, the village has created a raft of tourism facilities related to the craft.

In addition, the recreation of an ancient kiln site comprising 800 pottery pots of various colors and more than 30,000 red bricks has become a hit tourism destination among visitors to Yaoli.

The influx of tourists has also raised the incomes of local residents.

For example, Qiu Shuijin, a 68-year-old resident in the village, can earn 40,000 ($6,153) to 50,000 yuan per year from his noodle restaurant cum grocery store which he rented a house to set up.

In 2021, Yaoli attracted 100,000 tourists, generated 2 million yuan in tourism revenue and created an additional collective income of 250,000 yuan for local residents, official statistics show.

The local government has also been considering the construction of a playground for children in the village and promoting connectivity with surrounding villages such as Guanyintang and Hanshan to boost the development of its tourism sector, according to Zhou Haiming, a local official.

A view of Yaoli village in Huzhou's Nanxun district. [Photo/hz66.com]