Benxi in NE China's Liaoning brings wealth to local people through eco-tourism

Benxi city in northeast China's Liaoning province has developed eco-tourism and made full use of its abundant red tourism resources in recent years, protecting the eco-environment while bringing wealth to local people.

Photo shows maple leaves in a scenic spot in Benxi, northeast china's Liaoning province. [Xinhua/Yang Qing]

Maple Valley in the city's Huanren county is a forest farm-turned scenic spot and stands as one of the top attractions. Known in the province for its maple leaves, the site attracts droves of visitors and generates an annual revenue of over 20 million yuan (about $3.1 million).

In the past, however, more than 5,000 cubic meters of timber were produced at the forest farm every year, according to Zhang Chunyou, an employee of the Maple Valley and also a former worker at the farm. "In the end, almost all the trees were logged," Zhang recalled.

To cope with the resource strain, a forest tourism company was established. Thanks to three years of efforts in overall planning and massive afforestation, the Maple Valley site was opened in September 2013. To everyone's surprise, the tourism revenue generated by the scenic area in the first four months after its opening exceeded the annual revenue from logging operations in years past.

Moreover, with the opening of Maple Valley, some villagers found jobs in the scenic area while others opened up their own agritainment businesses, according to Wang Guangchao, whose family owns a homestay business in the county's Heping village, which is close to the tourist attraction.

The rise of Maple Valley is the epitome of Benxi's eco-tourism development efforts. With a commitment to green development, the city has built it into a national forest city, with a forest coverage rate of 76.31 percent in 2020.

The city has also vigorously developed red tourism, which features visits to historical sites holding a revolutionary legacy, in this way fully tapping into its rich red tourism resources. It has also established several patriotism educational bases and forged a slew of red tourism brands.