|

Two villagers show off their lotus seedpods, near a lotus pond in Pingyuanchi village on Aug 31. [Photo/Sipa]

Pingyuanchi village in Rugao – a county-level city administered by Nantong prefecture-level city in East China's Jiangsu province – has witnessed a veritable flood of tourists recently, according to the local media.

Pingyuanchi was once a traditional agricultural village. But now it has become a key rural tourism village in China, acknowledged by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

In recent years, the village has invested more than 10 million yuan ($1.49 million), to build 73.3 hectares of lotus ponds and support facilities for ecotourism.

Besides attracting tourists from across the country, the lotus ponds also provide huge development potential for Pingyuanchi.

"The lotus root, lotus seed and lotus leaf are the 'three treasures' of our village," said Qin Delai, director of the village committee.

He said the sales revenue from the trio of treasures is expected to reach 30 million yuan this year.

According to officials, with the recent discovery of its first hot spring source, the village is also planning to introduce water leisure and treatment projects to inject vitality into the village's burgeoning tourism industry.