Traditional residences in Daqian village, Yangquan [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In the city of Yangquan, there is an ancient village surrounded by mountains with ancient buildings and simple folk customs making people feel far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

Daqian village is located in the northeastern part of the city's Pingding county. The village's undulating and scattered residential buildings are built mostly on the mountainside using stone masonry.

Due to its remote location and lack of industries, most young and middle-aged villagers left for greener pastures, leaving mostly seniors and children and stalling the village's development.

In recent years, Daqian has introduced a new rural homestay project, breathing new life into the village.

New rural homestay dwellings in Daqian village, Yangquan city [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The project integrates traditional culture, ancient architecture, and rural lifestyle. The village has renovated uninhabited stone houses, courtyards and cave dwellings into modern rooms for resting, tea tasting, conferences, catering and admiring flowers and upgraded water, electricity and sewage treatment facilities while preserving the traditional style.

More than 10 new homestay dwellings have been completed and will soon start welcoming tourists from all over the country.

A mountaineering and fitness trail in Daqian village [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Daqian has also built a 2.67-hectare orchard in the south of the village, where tourists can admire the scenery and pick fruit. In addition, Yangquan invested in the construction of a mountaineering and fitness trail in the village that is more than nine kilometers in length.

"We aim to build Daqian into a village known for its cultural tourism, rural economy and industrial development to boost local rural revitalization," said Li Aiqing, a top official of the village.