Visitors try their hand at tea brewing at the Tribute Tea Museum of Tang Dynasty in Guzhu village, Huzhou. [Photo/Huzhou News Media Center]

Groups of visitors recently engaged in a raft of fun activities like learning the art of brewing tea at the Tribute Tea Museum of Tang Dynasty in Guzhu village, Huzhou, Zhejiang province, during the Chinese New Year holiday.

The holiday witnessed a surge in tourist numbers, most notably from Shanghai, thanks to the convenience brought by the new Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou High-speed Railway.

"This is a good opportunity. We are enhancing our services and visitor experiences to attract and retain more tourists," said Qian Lingyan, deputy general manager of the Tribute Tea Museum of Tang Dynasty.

Surrounded by lush greenery, Guzhu village is a sought-after leisure destination in the Yangtze River Delta region, especially for tourists from Shanghai, earning it the nickname of "Shanghai village".

The railway's opening has significantly reduced the travel time from Shanghai, making the village much more accessible during the holiday.

The spike in tourist numbers also led to a surge in sales of local agricultural products, including dried bamboo shoots and Zisun tea.

During the Spring Festival holiday, the number of tourists from Shanghai grew by 15 percent year-on-year. "This is just the beginning. With the strong push from convenient transportation, the future path of rural tourism in 'Shanghai village' will become wider and wider," said Zhang Mingxiang, Party secretary of the village.

"We plan to optimize tourism facilities, enhance our service quality, and introduce unique tourism projects to attract more visitors, benefiting the local community economically," Zhang added.