Dahua promotes holistic tourism development

Dahua Yao autonomous county. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

For more than two years, Hechi's Dahua Yao autonomous county has made efforts to promote the recovery of the cultural tourism industry from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and create a demonstration area for holistic tourism in Guangxi.

In 2021, the county attracted 2.6 million tourists, generating 3.42 billion yuan ($478 million) in total tourism consumption. From January to July this year, the county has attracted 1.45 million tourists, generating 1.91 billion yuan in total tourism consumption.

Xialiu village signed an agreement on a cultural tourism complex project at the 19th China-ASEAN Expo, with a Hechi special signing ceremony held on Sept 17. The project has a total investment of more than 100 million yuan. It will fully tap into unique local cultural resources, such as traditional rural buildings, farming tools, folk skills, and folk etiquette, while building a public service center, a cultural theater, art cultural and creative streets, leisure and commercial streets, as well as high-end homestay hotels in phases, aiming to create a new landmark of Dahua cultural tourism.

Damou town, which mainly focuses on Bunu Yao customs and local gourmet cuissine, has become a destination for food lovers and a landmark for Dahua tourism. In 2021, the town still received 1.67 million tourists despite the impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the most popular night consumption and leisure area in Hechi.

In order to turn resource advantages into development advantages, Dahua has built tourist facilities, such as car campsites, 360-degree viewing platforms, star-gazing platforms, and boutique homestays at Yantan Hydropower Station.

With the construction of tourist attractions like Qibailinong National Geopark and Dahua Hongshui River Baili Gallery Scenic Area, Dahua is forming a holistic tourism system with cultural research, landscape sports, gourmet food, as well as leisure as its main characteristics.