UN Tourism names four Chinese locations as 2025 Best Tourism Villages

Experts from around the globe gathered in Anji County in Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, for a world-class feast for rural tourism on October 17, where the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announced its Best Tourism Villages for 2025.

This year, four Chinese villages were recognized: Digang in Zhejiang Province, Huanggang in Guizhou Province, Jikayi in Sichuan Province, and Dongluo in Jiangsu Province. The four villages, ranging from mountainous areas in southwest China to water towns in the Jiangnan region, all display distinctive features in terms of their natural conditions, cultural identity, and paths of development.

Sandra Carvao, the UNWTO’s director of market intelligence, policies, and competitiveness, sees China’s results in the Best Tourism Villages program as a reflection of the commitment made years ago to use tourism as a vehicle for shared prosperity, fighting poverty, and creating new opportunities for rural communities. “This is decision that’s being made all around the country that’s giving results every day.”

Shaped by 2,500 years of history, Digang is one of the listed villages located in Zhejiang Province in the Yangtze River Delta. It is home to the globally renowned MulberryDyke and FishPond System, a circular eco-agricultural model that supports over 322 species, including indigenous mulberries and silkworms. According to the UNWTO, local women have led the protection and promotion of the system for over two decades, playing a crucial role in its recognition as a globally important agricultural heritage system.

In recent years, Digang has leveraged its well-protected ancient heritage and eco-cultural resources to develop its tourism industry. The village has created a complex of vacation facilities, as well as eco-agricultural, cultural, and educational programs. These efforts have significantly improved the livelihoods of the local people.

Nestled in the Lixia River region of Jiangsu Province, the historic village of Dongluo thrives in harmony with the water, land, and time. The village is part of the Xinhua Duotian area, which is recognized by the UN as both a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System and a World Heritage Irrigation Structure, with over 600 years of continuous cultivation and cultural preservation. Today, tourism thrives through cultural events and eco-experiences involving 60 percent of the villagers, half of whom are women. The community balances conservation and development through shared governance, co-investment, and heritage celebrations.

Perched high in the hills of Guizhou Province, Huanggang Village is an ancient Dong ethnic village with over 800 years of history and cultural continuity. With its terraced fields, nearly 400 wooden homes, five drum towers, and over 400 granaries, the village is revered as a masterpiece of "living architecture." Here, innovation meets tradition through a community-led approach that transforms tourism into a shared opportunity. The establishment of the Ancient Rice Tribe Rural Tourism Professional Cooperative enables villagers to participate equally in planning, operations, and distribution of benefits. By integrating ancient agricultural systems into modern experiences, Huanggang demonstrates how sustainable tourism can honor the past while fostering inclusive economic growth for generations to come.

Located in Sichuan Province, the highland village of Jikayi lies in the heart of the Zang-Qiang-Yi Corridor along the historic ancient Tea-Horse Road and near globally significant ecological treasures like the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries. The village’s 22 towers reflect yin and yang symmetry and the local feminine heritage, which are included on UNESCO’s Tentative World Heritage List. Agriculture and animal husbandry remain vibrant here, and a rich variety of fruits and over 10 national and provincial intangible cultural heritage items are conserved. Women play leading roles in preserving these traditions and driving innovation in tourism.

With these latest additions, China now has 19 villages on the UN's global list. “The 19 Best Tourism Villages that China has shown the readiness and diversity of Chinese villages as destinations,” remarked UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “All of them have unique cultures and traditions, and it's a really nice showcase for any other countries or any other regions to develop regional development.”