In order to meet the people’s growing demand for rural tourism, further enrich the supply of rural tourism services, in combination with the preparation for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China and the in-depth publicity and education activities of "Four History"(namely, the history of the Communist Party of China, PRC, reform and opening up, the development of socialism), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has recently launched 300 rural tourism routes, allowing tourists to “take a closer look at the achievements of poverty alleviation and aid rural revitalization” jointly with the National Development and Reform Commission.

Xiadang Village, Xiadang Township, Shouning County, Ningde City, Fujian Province

Featuring a combination of revolutionary cultural resources and lush ecological resources, the routes will provide a glimpse into the achievements of China's poverty alleviation and rural revitalization.  For example, the “Taste of Going to the Country” revolutionary tourism route in Xiadang Township, Shouning County, Ningde City, Fujian Province, guides tourists to retrace the road of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s three visits to the poverty-stricken households and the on-site office in the countryside, and makes tourists experience the great changes of Xiadang Township that used to be remote and poor but now with an average annual tourist reception of more than 200,000 people, and the comprehensive tourism income of more than RMB 26 million. Anhui launched the "Never Forget Why You Started" revolutionary route to guide visitors to the Dabie Mountain. They can start from the memorial hall of former site of the Seventh Division( headquarters) of New Fourth Army, visit the famous water conservancy project Meishan Reservoir of PRC and Lu'an Tea Valley, travel thousands of miles in the interior of Dabie Mountain, and admire the 500-mile landscape gallery.

Approaching the 300 rural tourism routes, visitors can learn about the stories of "Four History" that took place in the countryside, understand the glorious traditions, valuable experiences and great achievements of the party, inherit the revolutionary gene, provoke the motivation of marching towards, experience achievements in poverty alleviation, and aid rural revitalization.

Revolutionary Shanshuijian Scenic Spot, Wuhu City, Anhui Province

Since the beginning of this year, the cultural and tourism departments at all levels have resolutely implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech and the decisions and plans of the party and the State Council, regarded the promotion of the revitalization and development of rural tourism as an important starting point for consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation and promoting the rural revitalization in an all-round way. The resumption of rural tourism is advancing in an orderly way, and the consumption demand of rural tourism is continuously released.  In the first quarter, rich festival activities about rural tourism were organized and excellent rural tourism routes and characteristic projects were launched in different places to meet the travel needs of the people for "staying put during the Spring Festival holiday" and spring outing, and further stimulated the vitality of the development of rural tourism.

According to the estimation of the rural tourism monitoring center, the total number of rural tourism reception in the first quarter of 2021 was 984 million, an increase of 5.2% over the first quarter of 2019. The total income of rural tourism in China was RMB 389.8 billion, an increase of 2.1% over the first quarter of 2019.  China’s rural tourism has fully recovered, and maintains a good momentum of development, making positive contributions to enriching rural economic formats and tapping the consumption potential of counties and townships.