Danxia Mountain: Catering to urban needs in the rural tourism sphere

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Rural tourism has encouraged more and more city dwellers to venture into the countryside. But offering first-rate service to urban adventurers with a penchant for out-of-the-way places remains a challenge. That's where one young woman in Shaoguan saw a unique opportunity. Here's our reporter Cui Hui'ao again, with that story.

Lighting an incense stick, and making a cup of tea.

37-year-old Fu Xiaomi is having a moment of herself at her own guest house.

Fu used to teach English at a local school, but she quit her job 8 years ago. She knew it was the right time to get her foot in the door of the guest house business.

FU XIAOMI FOUNDER OF DANXIA IMPRESSION "I like traveling a lot, and I always dreamed of opening my own guest house. In 2010, Danxia Mountain was named as a natural world heritage site, and I thought it was a golden opportunity."

But as an old Chinese saying goes, everything is hard at the beginning. Fu encountered tremendous difficulties with her first and second guest houses. She had to learn from scratch. But eventually she found the key to sustaining her business: always catering to the travelers' needs.

FU XIAOMI FOUNDER OF DANXIA IMPRESSION "For example, people in the city want to relax their mind and body when they visit Danxia. So we designed this guest house with the theme of Zen. We use simple but elegant colors, wooden furniture, and carved out a space for calligraphy."

Now, Fu runs more than a dozen guest houses in Danxia Mountain, 40 percent of the guest houses in the area. Her company has made millions. She enjoys meeting new guests, and some of them even became her partners.

FU XIAOMI FOUNDER OF DANXIA IMPRESSION "I believe the purpose of a guest house is not just to provide travelers with a nice place to stay. It's about providing a holistic experience for city people, like authentic rural food, fresh air, farming culture, and rural tourism."

Fu calls that the extension of the industry chain. Her ambition is to open more guest houses in Danxia, each with its unique theme. More importantly, she wants to change people's perception about the countryside and fulfill different needs for rural tourism. Cui Hui'ao, CGTN, Danxia Mountain.