Camping tents prop up town's tourism in Wudang

A barbecue camping site in Shuitian town. [Photo/WeChat account of Shuitian town]

As camping has emerged as a new trendy tourism activity in the past two years, Shuitian town in Wudang district, Guiyang, has explored a new rural tourism development model that combines camping, barbecue, fruit and vegetable picking, family interaction, agricultural experiences, and more.

This has successfully attracted several tourism market players. In 2023, six new camping sites were launched in the town, receiving up to 1,600 visitors. Each site generates monthly revenue of up to 300,000 yuan ($41,370).

Wudang district currently boasts 17 barbecue and camping sites, with Shuitian town hosting nine of them, making it the area with the largest number and largest area of such sites in the district.

Within the town, Luozhuang village, known for its beautiful scenery, accessibility, and clear, shallow rivers, has become the place with the most barbecue and camping sites. This has led to clustered development and comprehensive vitalization in the area.

In addition, the establishment of the Hepan Lezhuang Base has revitalized the idle assets of Luozhuang. The village collective has increased its income through profit-sharing from operations and land rent and has created jobs for 47 locals.

Hepan Lezhuang is a large base dedicated to enriching and exploring the "1+1" model of the collective economy, aiming to create 99 new activities. It covers an area of over 100 mu (6.67 hectares).

Visitors have fun catching fish at the Hepan Lezhuang Base. [Photo/WeChat account of Shuitian town]

Here, visitors can barbecue and camp, and children can participate in activities such as fish and shrimp catching, tie-dyeing, farming, beekeeping studies, and paddle boarding.

A visitor tries paddle boarding at the Hepan Lezhuang Base. [Photo/WeChat account of Shuitian town]