Guidong County, located in Chenzhou City, southeastern Hunan Province, is 890 meters on average above the sea level and it is where “Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention” was promulgated and the monument where the Sixth Army of the Red Army took a mass pledge to move westward.

The county boasts lush forests with a forest coverage of 85%. Its annual average temperature is 15.4℃ and the average temperature in summer is 23.6℃, about 8℃ lower than that of Changsha, the capital city of Hunan Province. It enjoys abundant negative oxygen ions, and the average negative oxygen ion concentration is 40,000 ions per cubic centimeter, with the maximum instantaneous amount reaching 150,000. It was even identified by Shanghai-based Great World Guinness Headquarters as the county with the highest negative oxygen ion concentration in China. 

Guidong is now known as a summer resort, “health care center” and “world oxygen bar”. However, in the past, due to the poor transportation, the county failed to make full use of the beautiful scenery and good resources, and thus many people lived a hard life.

By the end of 2013, the opening of the south section of Wuhan-Shenzhen expressway (Pingjiang-Rucheng expressway) removed the last crucial hurdle getting in the way of prosperity. The expressways, national and provincial highways passing through the county contribute to a convenient transport network.

Guidong County has rolled out relevant polices and invested 40 million yuan each year for the development of health care tourism, rural tourism and homestay industry, thus building it into a national all-for-one-tourism demonstration county, according to an official of the county.

At present, there are such scenic areas in the county as Wanyang Xiangsi Grassland, Santai Mountain Park, Guidong Botanical Garden and tea sightseeing gardens.

The picturesque ecological tea gardens have attracted numerous tourists, which also promote the development of the local homestays and tourism. There are more than 600 homestays in the county that can accommodate 10,000 people.

Moreover, a tourist homestay association has been established, and regulations for boutique homestays have been formulated, enabling tourists to enjoy better services.

There are many homestay inns in Jindong Village, Qingzhu Village, Beixi Village and others, attracting lots of tourists from other places in the country to enjoy the charming scenery, avoid summer heat or take a fresh breath.

Due to convenient transportation, beautiful ecology and booming tourism, the county has become the first choice of many people who would like to have a health care trip or avoid summer heat.

Zhong Hanming, a villager from Jindong Village, prepares lunch for 10 customers from Changsha and Chenzhou City. The local homemade dishes such as the smashed cucumbers, water-boiled toufu and sauteed cured meat with dried bamboo shoot are popular among tourists.

Jindong Village is situated in the northeast of Guidong County, just 20 minutes’ ride to the county town.

Based on the abundant and unique Chinese yew trees and livable environment, the village has made vigorous efforts to develop health care tour and summer tour, greatly increasing people’s income.

In 2015, Zhong Hanming, who used to be a mason, opened an agritainment, which has gained much popularity among the tourists. Then he rebuilt the agritainment into a homestay inn with over 20 guest rooms, which earns him a net income of more than 80,000 yuan each year.

His Ziyunxuan Homestay has won some regular customers who pay a visit to the village each year in summer.

“We set out from Changsha on June 10 and arrived at Jindong Village in about 5 hours. It is quite convenient.” One tourist said, “I will invite more friends to enjoy the beautiful landscape here.”

There are more than 80 homestay hotels in this small village, all of which are quite popular.

Qingzhu Village is at the back of Jindong Village, which is 1,200 meters above the sea level and enjoys cool weather in summer. Therefore, many tourists come here to avoid summer heat each year.

One visitor said, “In the past, it took us more than 4 hours to come here from Chenzhou City, but now it just takes about 2 hours to drive along the expressway.”

Along the tourist trail in the village, there are many homestay inns, such as Lanxi Homestay, Tianyuan Homestay and Yunwu Homestay, around which fruits and vegetables are grown and poultry are raised. The agricultural products such as yellow peaches, chickens and ducks are popular among tourists.

The fast development of the homestay industry has brought much wealth to local villagers. Gong Jianxiong, who is 52 years old, runs Jianxiong Villa with his wife Chen Mingzhu. As the business booms, their income also increases.

Li Huiyong, head of Qingzhu Village Committee introduced that there are over 50 homestay inns with the annual income exceeding 6 million yuan. Thanks to the homestay industry, many villagers have shaken off poverty and become rich.

Guidong has received more than 1.7 million tourists during the first half of the year, with the tourism-related revenue reaching over 1.6 billion yuan, up 144.99% on a yearly basis.