BEIJING, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Bohai Township is located in the suburban Huairou District, Beijing. Residing near the Great Wall, local residents used to rely on planting chestnut trees to earn a better living, which can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Now as the local environment has been much improved, bed and breakfast (B&B) service is taken as a new impetus for rural revitalization.
Supported by the local government, villagers across the township started to redesign their farmhouses into B&Bs in recent years, providing accommodation, entertainment and catering services for tourists.
According to the Bohai Township tourism service center, there are 187 boutique B&Bs in the town, creating more than 400 jobs and bringing over 6 million yuan (about 843,000 U.S. dollars) a year to locals, who rent their lands to individuals or companies operating B&Bs.
Meanwhile, the township has never given up its traditional chestnut industry. An increasing number of youths have come back to their hometown and injected new ideas and technologies into the chestnut industry.
Chips are installed to monitor chestnut trees' humidity, temperature, and control diseases and pests. Farmers can know about the growing conditions of chestnut trees via electronic devices.
Chestnuts and mushrooms have been must-eat delicacies on many local B&Bs' menus.
Under the Great Wall, traditional agriculture and modern tourism have achieved integrated development.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
