Tapping into its green potential

Tourists visit a caravan camping and container hotel facility in Chun'an county. [Photo by Yang Feiyue/China Daily]

This picturesque area in Zhejiang province is using its most famous attraction - Qiandao Lake - to bring in the visitors

Waking up to birds chirping and gentle breeze is one of the pleasures of living near Zhejiang's tourism hot spot Qiandao Lake.

There, more than 1,000 green islands form a labyrinth on the lake and is a sight for sore eyes.

Everything is green, yellow and red when we visit the lake in Chun'an county, west of Hangzhou, in mid-December.

Although the lake has become a household name, Chun'an might be unfamiliar to visitors from afar. That's why the county plans to use the lake to raise its profile.

A clean environment, rich folk traditions and farmland-based leisure are what Chun'an offers, says Jiang Huaping, the deputy head of the county.

"We want to develop rural tourism, so visitors come and see more than just the lake," says Jiang

A river town, a historic street, caravan facilities and a traditional Chinese medicine plantation zone will be developed to spice up the tourist experience.

Sport events will also be introduced, since Chun'an features diverse landforms, which are perfect for sport events such as cycling and hiking, says Jiang.

So far, the tourism potential of the area has lured a few young locals who worked in big cities to return home.