Cultural tourism blooms in Greater Huangshan Region

Vitalization is in the air in the Greater Huangshan Region — a lush area that encompasses cities of Huangshan, Chizhou, Anqing and Xuancheng in East China's Anhui province.

Huangshan Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990, is a perpetual must-visit destination, greeting millions of vacationers every year. Smaller counties, sprinkled along the mountain range, are an idyllic, hilly paradise often overlooked by tourists but with plenty to offer.

Luxi village, in Xuancheng, is a hidden world of tea. The village of about 1,500 residents exports 40 metric tons of tea leaves to European countries annually. However, the agricultural village is dedicated to making itself more of a tourist destination.

The village now is the domain of nature lovers heading to its tea platform on the mountain summit. A ride uphill for 10 minutes gives tourists a view that is awe-inspiring: a calm and clean sky falls on mountains shrouded in thin mist, and an expanse of tea plants, maples and other trees stretches as far as the eye can see.

Beyond a perfect angle for photography, the village offers vacationers capsule hotels for views of scenery and stars, as well as a tea house that also serves a sip of latte, and a golden route for hikers to climb higher.

Cities in the Greater Huangshan Region are keen on promoting their "golden places" on social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu. Tourists flock to these places based on these internet advertisements and guides.