Over the past three decades, Wulong, once a poor mountainous region of Chongqing, has undergone a facelift thanks to tourism development. It now aims to attract more visitors from all over the world to its unique landscape and culture.
“Tourism has been our pillar of the industry for 30 years. By 2035, Wulong will be a world-famous tourist destination,” He Qing, Party leader of Wulong district, recently told China Daily.
“We will strictly adhere to the popularity of world-class tourist attractions and the foreign popularity of tourism products, marketing, amenities and services. “
Located about 130 kilometers southeast of the urban domain of Chongqing, Wulong is famous for its natural beauty and cultural depth.
In 2007, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its karst landforms and several major attractions, including the three herbaceous bridges, the gorge valley, Furong Cave, and Xiannyu Mountain.
In the past, the mountainous region was among the spaces of poverty at the national level due to the limited amount of arable land and the lack of infrastructure. Due to the karst topography, the soil is rocky and lean soil can hold little water.
Since 1994, tourism has been the main driver of the local economy, making Wulong a sustainable development style.
Easily accessible by air, rail, road and river, Wulong received 5. 46 million tickets issued last year, adding 91,000 foreign tourists, generating a global profit of 520 million yuan ($72 million), all reaching all-time highs.
According to authorities, more than 100,000 people, or about a quarter of the district’s 410,000 residents, now work in tourism and similar industries.
“Natural ecology is Wulong’s greatest wealth and resource. We will never sacrifice it for transitory economic growth,” he said.