Rural revitalization gains ground in Tonglu

A view of Luci village, Fuchunjiang town, Tonglu county, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Rural revitalization has been gaining traction in Tonglu county, East China's Zhejiang province and Luci village in Fuchunjiang town is a prime example of how the county's rural areas have benefited from the robust development.

By virtue of its geographical location and unique landscape, Luci has in recent years experienced a fast growth in its rural tourism and was even listed among the first batch of recommended destinations in Zhejiang where people can experience rural life.

In June, the village introduced a digital platform that is capable of managing tourism facilities such as homestays and parking lots in a smart manner.

The platform has increased the standardized parking rate in the village by 56 percent year-on-year and cut the traffic congestion rate during peak hours by 87.5 percent, according to Fang Zuchun, Party chief of the village.

In addition to the platform, visitors can use a mini app to make reservations for parking, catering and lodging services. Developed by Luci, the app can be accessed by scanning QR codes posted on the doors of every shop in the village.

Luci witnessed a strong recovery in its homestay business during this year's National Day holiday, Fang said.

Homestays in the village received 82,100 visitors and had an average occupancy rate of more than 75 percent during the seven-day holiday. These businesses raked in about 9.75 million yuan ($1.5 million) in revenue during this period, according to official data.

In April, Luci and 17 other villages in Tonglu were designated as role models in the "Beautiful Village" campaign that excel in aspects including digital upgrading, rule of law, art, entrepreneurship and civility.

In the first three quarters of this year, the collective income of villages in Tonglu amounted to 233 million yuan, among which 152 million yuan was operating income, up 29.4 percent and 44.8 percent respectively, according to Chen Ming, director of the social development department at Tonglu bureau of agriculture and rural affairs.