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Tourists visit the lotus pond in Pingyuanchi village. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

Pingyuanchi village in Rugao Economic and Technological Development Zone, Nantong, has turned itself into a modern and prosperous community by exploring local resources, as well as focusing on high-quality development.

Tourism has been the backbone of the village's notable development. Boasting a long and rich lotus culture, Pingyuanchi built a lotus pond covering thousands of square meters and planted varieties of water lilies to attract tourists. In addition, guest houses, shopping areas, as well as a water park were built near the pond to entertain visitors.

A lotus festival, which has been held in the village four times, has attracted more than 800,000 people in total.

Apart from tourism, Pingyuanchi has also invested in other lotus-related projects in order to develop a complete industrial chain. Seeds and leaves of the lotuses in the pond will be further processed to make food and beverage products like tea.

As a result of this effort, more than 900 households in the village have increased their income by more than 5,000 yuan ($769.65) on average. Pingyuanchi's per capita annual income in 2020 reached 31,800 yuan.

To bring more income to villagers, Pingyuanchi has formed cooperatives to manage its farmland as a unified group. The practice has so far generated over 1.1 million yuan in revenue.

The living environment in the village has also improved greatly as extensive efforts have been made on waste treatment. Additionally, a cultural center has been established to provide villagers with more entertainment activities.