Relying on Shanxi province's rich cultural tourism resources, Shanxi Culture and Tourism Investment Holding Group plans to preserve and develop Zhaoyu Ancient City -- located a little off the beaten track in local Qixian county -- turning it into a world-level capital of tea culture and promoting the medicinal tea industry in the celebrated province in North China.

Zhaoyu was reputedly founded by tea traders and its streets still feature relatively untouched shops and buildings.

Officials said the group has jointly established a company with the government of Qixian county to explore historical and cultural resources of the place, which was once a transport hub of China-Mongolia-Russia Tea Road. 

Plans are to develop it into a tea-themed cultural tourism business complex which will include a tea trading big data platform, tea stores and a museum of tea culture -- and promote Shanxi's medicinal tea brands. 

Wang Wenbao, chairman of Shanxi Culture and Tourism Investment Holding Group, said that the construction of a museum of the China-Mongolia-Russia Tea Road, a museum of Shanxi medicinal tea and Shanxi Medicinal Tea Industry Street will be completed this year.

The joint venture of Shanxi Culture and Tourism Investment Holding Group and Qixian county plans to complete the overall infrastructure improvement of Zhaoyu Ancient City within three years -- and transform Zhaoyu Ancient City into a popular tourist destination within five years.