Rugao boosts its longevity brand with fanfare for longevity tourism. [Photo/news.cpcrugao.cn]

In recent years, Rugao in Nantong has been accelerating the shift from scenic tourism to all-for-one tourism with a development shift from speed to quality. It is striving to become the best tourism destination for longevity in China.

In 2017, Rugao received a total of 12.13 million tourists, with resulting revenue of 13.71 billion yuan, year-on-year increases of 23.2 percent and 16 percent respectively. Rural tourism of all kinds in the city has created nearly 10,000 jobs, benefiting and enriching locals.

Rugao is blessed with diversified tourism specialties and resources, which can be summarized into five characteristics. First, it is ancient. Rugao has a long history and profound cultural heritage with many historical and cultural attractions and is the birthplace of generations of renowned talents.

Second, it is red, the color of revolution, and was the cradle of communist revolution in eastern China. In the 1930, the Red Fourteen Army was formed in Benjiaxiang, Rugao. It was the first industrial revolutionary armed force in Jiangsu province during the agrarian revolution and the only regular army in Jiangsu that was included in the Central Red Army.

Third, as the capital of bonsai, Rugao is also green. It has a long history of bonsai cultivation and was given the appellation “Hometown of Flowers and Trees in China” in 2011.

Its fourth characteristic is economic. A land treasured for its favorable conditions for work and daily life, Rugao is gold. It has been a city of affluence since ancient times and earned its reputation of “Golden Rugao” during the Qianlong Period (1711-1799). It has a competitive economy ranked within the top 100 in the country and renovated landscape in both urban and rural areas. Its social undertakings such as education, healthcare, culture and pensions lead in the province, and the happiness index of the public has seen great improvement.

Finally, Rugao is woven with silver threads. This is the highlight of Rugao as a land blessed with health and longevity. As of the beginning of this year, Rugao had 403 centenarians, the highest in the country. It is one of the six most long-lived towns in the world and was awarded the title of “World Longevity Township” in 2011.