Opening Thoughts

Remember visiting rural guesthouses with parents when we were kids? Those rural establishments were truly basic - simple wooden cabins, water stains on walls, dining rooms filled with heavy cooking smoke, wobbly tables and chairs, and just a few menu items: stir-fried vegetables, braised pork, and free-range chicken soup. Besides eating, there was nothing to do except wandering aimlessly in the bumpy courtyard, and if lucky, picking a few tomatoes or feeding the chickens and ducks in the yard.

But rural tourism today is absolutely eye-opening! The other day I visited a rice field cafe in Anji, Zhejiang - just this novel combination made me want to check it out. The cafe sits right in the middle of rice paddies, with an all-glass design allowing sunlight to pour in unreservedly. I ordered a pour-over Yirgacheffe coffee, and the barista's brewing movements were fluid and graceful, releasing wonderful aromas. The best part was watching farmers working in the fields through the glass walls - the contrast between modern specialty coffee and traditional farming scenery was so cleverly striking that I couldn't stop taking photos. After posting on social media, the comments section was instantly flooded with "So beautiful!", "Such great vibes!", and "Let's go next time!"

New Experiences

You wouldn't believe how many creative ways rural tourism has developed. Last summer, I visited a rural guesthouse in Wuyuan, Jiangxi, which completely overturned all my preconceptions about rural accommodations. The guesthouse was designed by an architect who returned from Beijing to start his business, perfectly blending traditional Hui-style architectural elements with modern minimalist design. The exterior walls used local blue bricks, but the interior was exquisitely modern.

My room was nearly 50 square meters, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows facing terraced fields, offering an unbeatable view. The most delightful surprise was the bathroom, equipped with a two-meter-long pure white bathtub where you could see fields of rapeseed flowers while bathing, enjoying warm sunlight during the day or stargazing at night. The bedding was from a French brand, wonderfully soft and comfortable. Even the toiletries were carefully selected, all specially customized with natural plant formulas.

The evening activities were even more surprising. The guesthouse had set up an outdoor cinema in the nearby tea garden, showing a selected film every night. They were screening Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky" the night I was there. Everyone sat on cushions and pillows specially prepared by the guesthouse. The tea garden grew the famous local White Peony tea, which the hostess picked and handcrafted on site, filling the air with fragrance. Lying on soft cushions, sipping warm White Peony tea, watching Sheeta and Pazu's adventures in the sky, with the sounds of frogs and insects in the background - that feeling was truly incredible.

Data shows that by 2023, the number of rural guesthouses nationwide had exceeded 600,000, with high-end guesthouses increasing from 5% in 2018 to 23% in 2023. This change is fascinating, indicating that tourists are no longer satisfied with basic accommodation and dining but are seeking higher quality, more experiential rural tourism. Many guesthouses are moving towards boutique offerings, upgrading everything from architectural design to interior decoration, from dining options to cultural activities.

I previously interviewed a guesthouse owner who said: "Today's young people have high standards for quality of life and are willing to pay for good experiences. Running a guesthouse isn't just about providing a place to sleep - it's about creating a lifestyle that lets guests truly experience the beauty of rural life."

New Business Forms

Rural tourism projects are incredibly diverse now, truly a feast of culture and creativity. During last National Day holiday, I experienced field pottery in a small village in Dali, Yunnan, which gave me a completely new perspective on rural tourism.

The pottery studio was built next to rice fields, looking like an oversized greenhouse with an all-glass design allowing sunlight to pour in freely. The interior design was interesting, with half being a production area housing several electric and manual pottery wheels, and half being a display area with shelves full of handmade pottery, from practical bowls and plates to artistic decorative pieces.

The studio owner was a graduate from Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute who chose to return to the countryside to open a studio, aiming to combine traditional crafts with rural culture. She told me that the clay used in the studio was collected from red soil in nearby mountains and specially processed. This red soil is characterized by high iron content, resulting in unique reddish-brown finished products with fine texture, particularly suitable for making tea sets.

Under her guidance, I tried making a teacup using an electric pottery wheel. Honestly, the process was much harder than I imagined. Just centering the clay on the wheel took great effort, not to mention the throwing process. Although my final teacup was a bit wonky, the feeling of creating something by hand was really special. Most touching was when the teacher said she would keep my piece for firing and send it to me later. Two months later, I received the beautifully packaged teacup, and although it still looks amateur, every time I drink tea from it, I remember that sunny afternoon.

Besides pottery, rural tourism projects are incredibly diverse now. Some places offer farming experience courses teaching visitors how to plant rice and harvest; some have transformed abandoned granaries into creative markets, both preserving old buildings and providing platforms for young creators; others offer rural cooking classes where village grandmothers teach visitors how to make traditional snacks.

According to Ministry of Culture and Tourism statistics, new rural tourism business forms exceeded 20,000 nationwide in 2023, an eightfold increase from 2018. Of these, craft experience projects account for 15%, farming experiences 35%, cultural creative projects 25%, with the remainder being traditional offerings like dining and accommodation. These numbers reflect rural tourism's transformation and upgrade, shifting from simple sightseeing to in-depth experiences, extending from basic accommodation and dining to cultural experiences.

New Demographics

Most interestingly, the rural tourism demographic has undergone a complete transformation. I was amazed at a camping base in suburban Chengdu, Sichuan - the site was filled exclusively with young people, mostly post-90s and post-95s generations.

The camping base was built next to a bamboo forest, creating a particularly serene environment. The owner was very thoughtful, carefully designing each camping spot to maintain appropriate distance between sites, ensuring privacy while avoiding isolation. The site provided comprehensive facilities, including clean public bathrooms and a fully equipped outdoor kitchen.

Young people brought various tents and equipment. Some tents were distinctively styled, looking like art pieces when set up; others came with complete camping gear, from folding tables and chairs to camping cookware. During the day, people gathered in small groups to explore local specialty cooking. I witnessed an impressive outdoor food show - someone steamed fragrant lotus leaf rice with preserved meat and glutinous rice, another perfectly grilled steak on a cast iron pan, and someone even brought hand-drip coffee equipment to brew aromatic coffee under the trees.

The campsite became even livelier at night. People gathered around bonfires, some playing guitars, others singing or sharing travel stories. The firelight illuminated everyone's faces as laughter echoed through the bamboo forest. It was a magical feeling - strangers meeting for the first time yet forming strong connections through shared interests.

National Culture and Tourism Department data shows that in 2023, people under 35 accounted for 56% of rural tourists, a 25 percentage point increase from 2018. Moreover, their average daily spending rose from 300 yuan in 2018 to 680 yuan in 2023. This change is particularly interesting, indicating that young people have not only become the main force in rural tourism numerically but have also shown significant increases in spending power and willingness.

New Reflections

At this point, you might ask: why are young people so enthusiastic about rural tourism? I've pondered this question for a long time.

First, I think it's related to urban life pressure. Living in concrete jungles, facing heavy work pressure daily, inevitably creates an urge to escape. The countryside becomes a place where we seek spiritual comfort, where we can temporarily set aside urban life's burdens, breathe fresh air, and experience nature's charm.

Second, rural tourism projects have become increasingly creative, moving beyond simple eating and drinking. Whether it's rice field cafes, boutique guesthouses, craft experiences, or camping activities, they all bring young people freshness and participation. These new business forms well satisfy young people's needs for personalized, in-depth travel experiences.

Most importantly, these new forms well satisfy young people's social needs and desire to share. Today's young people particularly value social media presentation, and distinctive rural tourism projects not only provide pleasant experiences but also generate quality social content. For instance, taking photos at rice field cafes, stargazing from guesthouse bathtubs, or brewing coffee at campsites are all very sharable scenes.

However, we must recognize that upgrading rural tourism isn't easy. According to surveys, less than 30% of rural tourism projects nationwide maintain high quality. Many places blindly renovate for short-term benefits, actually destroying rural authenticity.

I've seen some failed examples. Some places built inappropriate European-style buildings to attract tourists; some became overly commercialized, turning peaceful villages into noisy commercial streets; others forcibly constructed jarring installations to cater to social media photo opportunities. These approaches not only failed to enhance rural charm but destroyed the countryside's authentic appearance.

This truly deserves our deep thought. Rural tourism development shouldn't simply copy urban elements but should deeply explore and innovatively present rural characteristics. We need to integrate modern elements while maintaining rural authenticity, creating tourism products that preserve rural atmosphere while meeting modern aesthetics.

Future Outlook

So, what will future rural tourism look like? This question is particularly interesting. I believe it will become more diverse and see more innovative models.

For instance, I recently heard about "digital nomad" projects, which is a really cool concept. It involves young people bringing their computers to work in rural areas, combining work with rural life. Imagine this scenario: working in a shared office space beside rice fields in the morning, viewing golden paddies and busy farmers through floor-to-ceiling windows; experiencing farming during lunch breaks, personally planting vegetables or picking fruits; then participating in villagers' bonfire parties and chatting with locals in the evening. This work-life style should be very attractive to young people yearning for slow living.

I've also heard about places trying "creative agriculture" projects. They combine traditional agricultural production with creative design, like designing special planting patterns to turn farmland into artwork, or developing unique agricultural product packaging to add storytelling value. These innovations not only increase agricultural products' added value but also add new attractions to rural tourism.

Looking at the data, China's rural tourism market is expected to exceed 3 trillion yuan by 2025. While this number is impressive, I think what's truly important isn't the size but how to maintain rural authenticity during development. We need to discover rural beauty thoughtfully, creatively showcase rural charm, let urban people truly experience rural uniqueness, and enable sustainable rural development.

In this process, each of us can contribute ideas. Whether operators or tourists, we can think about how to improve rural tourism. As tourists, we can pay more attention to projects that maintain rural authenticity and support them with actual actions; as operators, we need to protect original rural features and cultural traditions while innovating.

What are your expectations for future rural tourism? Welcome to share your thoughts in the comments. Perhaps your ideas will become a new direction for future rural tourism development!