A boathouse-themed creative farm in Qidong, Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: qidongfabu]

Eighteen sites in Nantong were included in the list of recommended rural tourist destinations recently released by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The list is comprised of three categories for themed creative farms, agricultural practice bases, and sites for maintaining wellness. It is a result of recommendations made by county-level governments, examinations made by municipal-level governments, and selections made by provincial departments.

There were seven themed creative farms in Nantong selected – island-themed and herb-themed farms in Haimen district, a boathouse-themed farm in Qidong, dendrobe-themed and chrysanthemum themed farms in Rugao, as well as peony-themed and grape-themed farms in Hai'an.

Agricultural practice bases are meant to teach students and the public about traditional agricultural lives. The five selected entries in Nantong are located in Tongzhou, Haimen, Qidong, Hai'an, and Rudong.

In addition, six ecological resorts in Nantong made the category of sites for maintaining wellness. Two are in Haimen, two are in in Rugao, one is in Qidong, and one is in Hai'an. They combine recreation with health maintenance, which has been a growing trend among people in big cities.