At Yucun, which is now renowned as the cradle of the theory, clear rivers and lush mountains not only promise a better livelihood for residents, but also stand out as a rural attraction for city-dwellers from the likes of Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing.

"They were not quite sure of the decision until the encouraging message from President Xi," said Yu, the village director who formerly worked on the village's auditing team.

Yucun, along with several other villages in the province, has been promoted as an exemplar of China's recent rural revitalization. Yu said the local government has been reassured by the "Two Mountains" theory and has pioneered efforts to direct its economy to the more ecologically friendly sectors of agriculture, industry and tourism.

The pursuit of the rural vitalization strategy is an important plan implemented by the Central Committee at the Communist Party of China's 19th National Congress.

In 2018, Yucun received upward of 800,000 visitors from across the country, who spent more than 30 million yuan, accounting for nearly a third of the village's income. The village's other sources of income come from bamboo products and renting out vacant land and factories.

With about one fifth of its population engaged in the tourism industry, the average annual income per person has increased fivefold from 2005 to 2017, surpassing 41,000 yuan. The figure is three times the national average income in rural areas.

"Everyone called me crazy and said my investment would be a stone thrown into the river (with no return)," said Pan Chunlin, a villager who was one of the first residents to join the tourism industry early in the 2000s.

With a loan of 600,000 yuan, Pan refurbished three rooms reserved for his wedding into guest rooms.

A former truck driver at the cement factory, he was promoted to the job of chauffeur for the factory's director. The 48-year-old said traveling with the factory director broadened his vision and ambition.

Today, Pan is a millionaire and has expanded his business into a travel agency connecting more than 300 hostels run by farmers in the Yangtze River Delta region, and running a transportation company for tourists, two restaurants, several hostels and a resort.

"As urbanites reach a certain level of income and sophistication, there is a natural desire to return back to nature," Pan said.

As the local government seeks investment for the rehabilitation of the quarry to lure more tourists, Pan quips that he is now troubled with the same kind of problem as urbanites - being too busy.