Arxan's natural bounty finds fresh fans

Over the past decade, it has hosted approximately 30 million tourists and generated around 35 billion yuan ($4.8 billion) in tourism revenue.

More recently, from January to July, Arxan received 2.26 million visitors, a 240.21 percent year-on-year increase, and the sector contributed 3.28 billion yuan in revenue, a 240.08 percent rise year-on-year.

The China (Arxan) Tourism Conference kicked off on Sept 2. It featured a multitude of activities, such as exhibitions of intangible cultural heritage, a photography exhibition, cultural tourism forums, group self-drive tours, a forest music concert, a camping gathering and a firework show, all organized to enhance Arxan's appeal to tourists.

Zhang Xiaoli, an official at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, says that activities like camping gatherings and field study tours not only offer tourists a new experience but also empower rural vitalization through the integration of culture and tourism.

"These activities demonstrate how tourism can contribute to comprehensive rural development and enhance local people's material and psychological wellbeing," says Zhang.