Cultural heritage preservation transforms ancient villages into tourist hotspots

Enhancing cultural heritage preservation and launching innovative tourism projects have breathed new vitality into once isolated and quiet villages in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, transforming them into hot tourist destinations.

In the village of Hongya in Longde County, there is a renowned old street covered by bluestone pavement and lined on the two sides with stone houses whose crevices are filled with yellow mud. The traditional architectural style of the Liupan Mountains area where the village is located has been well preserved through years of renovation efforts by local authorities.

In 2010, Longde County launched a restoration project to protect the residential houses along the old street, turning these buildings into unique culture-themed guesthouses. In 2016, the second phase of the project began, eventually transforming this village into a famous scenic spot.

To attract more visitors, the village has also stepped up efforts to preserve ancient traditions, such as paper-cutting and the Qinqiang Opera, a folk opera genre popular in northwest China. Just a few kilometers away, Xinhe Village has actively embraced innovative tourism programs, including building camping sites for recreational vehicles (RVs).

"After I arrived here, I offered some suggestions to the local village on how to develop the RV camp. In return, they appointed me as an honorary villager, which I'm deeply honored by. I truly feel like I've become a part of this community," said Chen Haiyong, a RV owner.

In the past, tourists were mainly attracted to the village by the Shehuo show, a traditional folk celebration combining multiple forms of art performances, including dragon or lion dance, traditional Chinese opera, and drum playing. Now, RV drivers flock here to seek a respite from fast-paced urban life and admire the picturesque scenery.

Local authorities have also improved infrastructure facilities, such as electricity and water supply, and enhanced publicity efforts to boost the village's fame as an ideal RV camping destination.

Amid these efforts, many new job opportunities have been created for local villagers, increasing their income and contributing to rural revitalization.

"We encouraged the farmers to invest in the village's tourism company because developing green industries and rural tourism is our path to prosperity. Although it takes time and patience for tourism investments to pay off, I explained to the villagers that the benefits might not be fully realized by our generation, but could greatly benefit the generations to come," said Zhao Xiaolong, a village official.

Cultural heritage preservation transforms ancient villages into tourist hotspots

Malaysia has extended its visa-free entry for Chinese citizens for another five years, a move that has already led to a sharp rise in tourist arrivals and reinforced economic and diplomatic ties with China.

The initiative follows China's decision to waive visa requirements for Malaysian travelers in late 2023, triggering a two-way tourism boom between the two countries.

Popular destinations like the Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur are now filled with Chinese tourists taking advantage of the simplified entry process.

"The whole process is very simple. After arriving in Kuala Lumpur, we could use the self-service channel to tour Malaysia," said Nancy Niu, a Chinese tourist from Shandong.

For many, the ease of entry has changed travel plans.

"We'd originally planned to travel within China. But when we heard about the visa exemption, we decided to go to Malaysia. That made it very convenient. If you want to come during the May Day holiday, or National Day holiday, just for a few days, there's no need to apply for a visa, you can just come," said Louie Zhang, a Chinese visitor from Shenzhen.

Returning travelers are also noticing the difference.

"When I came to Malaysia before, there were too many steps. We had to queue in very long lines. Now, there's basically no queuing. It's very quick to clear immigration," said Wang Xiaofeng, a Chinese visitor from Sichuan.

Tourism operators are welcoming the policy extension as a long-term boost to the industry.

"This extension is very much welcome news because it has always been very good for the industry, looking towards China as one of its main source markets. This is going to mean that we're going to have a lot more time to plan, to really understand the Chinese market and to perhaps even cater to the new, upcoming trends that the Chinese tourists are looking for," said Nigel Wong, president of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents.

So far in 2025, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia has risen by around 30 percent compared to the same period last year, according to Wang.

Chinese tourist arrivals soar as Malaysia extends visa waiver