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Zhenshihui Restaurant, seated by Haifang highway in Yuantuojiao Resort, is famous for its seafood and farm dishes. [Photo/WeChat account: ntjoy2012]

In 2013, Yuantuojiao Resort appeared in Qidong, a county-level city administered by Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province, bringing great business opportunities to Yuantuojiao villagers. The large number of tourists' visits increased the income of local residents.

Zhenshihui Restaurant, located on Haifang highway in Yuantuojiao Resort, is famous for its seafood and farm dishes.

"The seafood here is especially fresh," a tourist from Wuxi said. "In Wuxi and Suzhou, if we want to eat seafood, we have to go to a seafood market, and as the seafood in the markets is shipped from here, it's not as fresh as here."

Recently, during the peak tourist season, Zhenshihui received an average of 30 tables a day. "Our best seller is the tiny seafood, such as little yellow croaker," according to Gong Haitao, the owner of Zhenshihui. "In normal times, especially on holidays, the seafood is basically in short supply."

Relying on the scenic areas such as Evergrande Venice and the Golden Beach Scenic Area, Yuantuojiao has attracted more and more visitors since 2015. Gong, originally engaged in family feast, took advantage of the development opportunity by operating a a homestay.

"Over a decade ago, my annual income was only 20,000 to 30,000 yuan ($4,452), but in these last two years, it has increased by eight or even ten times," Gong added.

With the continuous enrichment of tourism activities and the improvement of facilities in Yuantuojiao, Gong has more future expectations and plans to open a branch soon.