Han saw Huata's tourism potential and used some money he made from a delivery business he ran outside the village. He led some of the locals to build fruit and vegetable picking gardens, a tourist center and a parking lot in 2014.

Now, Huata has managed to attract travelers keen to experience its leisure offerings and stunning landscape.

"We were receiving more than 100 guests on weekends before the epidemic," says Sun Zhiqiang, who opened Huata's first inn after seeing the positive changes take effect in village.

Although business was affected this year, it has started to see a recovery, Sun says.

Another local villager Han Fuhu also returned home a few years ago and built a two-story homestay on the site of his old house and offers visitors a taste of distinctive local cuisine.

Increasing numbers of tourists have boosted sales of local peaches, pears, walnuts and peppers, which has brought an average income to each resident of more than 2,000 yuan.

In the south of Lingqiu county, Beiquan village hasn't failed to attract visitors since April 2016, when it rolled out an epic performance event that introduces tourists to its rural and agricultural way of life.

Featuring more than 200 villagers, the show uses the surrounding mountains and rivers as its stage background and, among other elements, shows the audience the process of how locals build their homes from the ground up.

In the best of times, over 40 performances of the show were given to more than 60,000 visitors over the course of two months, says Lin Xinchun, Beiquan village's Party secretary.

In 2019, the show was adapted to integrate more local cultural elements and the history of King Wuling, a ruler of the Zhao State during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), packing in both new and returning guests.

To date, lotus flower and fruit picking festivals have been staged and help to lure an increasing number of travelers from Hebei, Tianjin and Inner Mongolia autonomous region, according to local village leaders.

Tourism has produced positive results in many villages of Lingqiu, as the county has tapped into its historical sites and natural resources to boost rural development

So far, a wetland health preservation resort is taking shape in the east of the county, and a national organic agriculture park is under construction in the south. A military culture park in the west will also be ready for public consumption.

According to the local authority, most of the rural houses, roads and farmlands will be upgraded, and the idea is to turn Lingqiu into a grand scenic spot.