Recreation area offers fun facilities, drives rural vitalization

Recreational facilities at the Snail Valley scenic area in Shimenshan town, Qufu, a county-level city in Jining offer fun activities for all ages. [Photo/Jining News]

The Snail Valley scenic area in Shimenshan town, Qufu, a county-level city in Jining, has fully utilized its cultural and natural resources and new business formats to boost the rural tourism industry and promote rural vitalization, Jining News reported.

As part of the Shimenshan town's healthcare and tourism project, the Snail Valley scenic area covers more than 27 hectares and received 78 million yuan ($11.43 million) in investment.

The operational facilities include ski and grass skating venues, a Confucian-culture academy, a recreation vehicle camp site, a professional go-kart racing venue, and a cosplay venue for the online shooter game Counter-Strike .

More than 20 varieties of activities are available for tourists to experience Confucian culture, natural scenery and rural living.

The Snail Valley boasts abundant lush scenery. [Photo/Jining News]

"Here we can pick both planted and wild vegetables and cook authentic and delicious rural dishes on our own," said a tourist surnamed Xie, who expressed that she would recommend this scenic area to more of her friends.

The Snail Valley and Shimen Mountain, which is a national 4A-level scenic spot, complement each other with unique advantages and have formed a holistic tourism service complex.

To date, the Snail Valley has received more than 30,000 tourists in 100 travel groups from Tai'an, Jinan, Linyi and Jining in Shandong province, as well as Fuzhou in Fujian province.

The Shimenshan town's healthcare and tourism project has benefited about 8,000 residents in six villages with direct economic benefits, and has driven the development of local catering and grape planting industries.