Camping facilities, weddings among services on offer
Visitors to the homestay owned by Li Xiumei and her husband at the foot of Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang province relax with family members and friends. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Li Xiumei considers herself a lucky player in the domestic tourism market that has borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite reports of confirmed cases across the country, Li's homestay in Zhejiang province continues to attract visitors — most of whom come from nearby cities — with its distinctive design and pastoral charm.
I stayed in a local homestay and it felt great. It was different from living in a hotel, as I could talk to other guests asthough they were friends.
Zhuang Yue, interior decorator
"We've managed to keep our booking rate above 80 percent during major holidays this year," Li said.
For the seven-day National Day holiday, which began on Oct 1, her homestay was fully booked.
"Most of the guests just wanted to spend time chilling out in peaceful surroundings, drinking tea and chatting with their family members and friends," Li said.
Three years ago, she and her husband, who are both in their 30s, decided to turn their old rural home at the foot of Tianmu Mountain into an idyllic getaway.
They hired professionals, and now provide a combination of eastern Chinese elegance and warmth for guests.
Guests enjoy their stay at the homestay owned by Zhuang Yue, a former interior decorator, in Zhoupu town, Shanghai, which offers a spacious courtyard and recreation facilities. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
The old house was preserved, a new building was constructed to the side, and the entire site now comprises four courtyards. The original rammed earth walls are clad with recycled bricks, and the wooden structures are exposed on the inside, enabling guests to trace the history of the house.
Moreover, the living room features a large skylight, while the swimming pool and courtyards are lined with trees, through which visitors glimpse distant villages.
Since it opened in 2019, the homestay has drawn numerous visitors, with guests sharing their experiences on social media and through word of mouth.
Gong Jian and his friends in a choir from Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, have made several visits to Li's homestay. "It feels great singing together outdoors in the village, and our songs echo off the mountain and forest," Gong said.
With travelers staying closer to home during the pandemic, short journeys rose in popularity, triggering a boom for rural homestay businesses, particularly those with distinctive characteristics.
During the National Day holiday, bookings for short trips rose by more than 80 percent compared with those for Spring Festival this year, according to Fliggy, Alibaba Group's online travel agency platform.
Guests enjoy their stay at the homestay owned by Zhuang Yue, a former interior decorator, in Zhoupu town, Shanghai, which offers a spacious courtyard and recreation facilities. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
On the rise
Homestays in Ningbo, Zhejiang, in Pingxiang and Shangrao, Jiangxi province, Huangshan, Anhui province, and Zhangjiajie, Hunan province, are the most popular nationwide.
In particular, camping-themed homestay numbers and bookings have risen since 2020, according to the 2022-27 report on government strategic management and regional development strategies for homestays issued by online research company ChinaIRN.
Liu Shaopeng recently enjoyed a camping trip with his family to the Fushanfang homestay in the western suburbs of Wanli district, Nanchang, Jiangxi.
"We hadn't traveled for a long time, and camping in the suburbs was a sort of makeshift choice. My son was perfectly happy and enjoyed making pottery and having barbecues," Liu said.
Guests enjoy their stay at the homestay owned by Zhuang Yue, a former interior decorator, in Zhoupu town, Shanghai, which offers a spacious courtyard and recreation facilities. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
The homestay offered camping equipment, including tents, and Liu said the time spent there was extremely relaxing and enabled him and his family to fully appreciate the local scenery.
Xiong Jianqiao, who is in charge of marketing at the business, attributes its success to the fresh air and pristine environment, as well as themed activities.
"For example, we planned a forest opera, a fair and Frisbee event last month," Xiong said, adding that the idea was to spice up the experience for visitors in the hope they would prolong their stay.
The number of rural homestays offering camping experiences has risen sixfold this year compared with before the pandemic emerged, while bookings at these businesses have surged by 25 times, according to Tujia, a property rental platform and homestay operator.
Bookings peaked in the summer, with Beijing's Yanqing and Pinggu districts, Conghua and Huadu districts in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Wuzhong district, Suzhou, Jiangsu, among the top homestay destinations, Tujia reported.
Visitors to the homestay owned by Li Xiumei and her husband at the foot of Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang province relax with family members and friends. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Wedding ceremony
The expanding market has attracted more young entrepreneurs. To stand out from their rivals and appeal to customers, some homestays run by young people even offer wedding services.
In 2020, Zhuang Yue applied the skills he acquired during his time as an interior decorator to running the Sanjian homestay in Zhoupu town, Shanghai.
In late October, the homestay hosted a stylish private wedding ceremony. Flowers were arranged and the bride and groom had their photos taken in the courtyard.
"Most of the guests the couple invited were friends of their own age, so they wanted to try a venue that was a little unconventional to host their wedding," Zhuang said.
The homestay, which is about an hour's drive from downtown Shanghai, is built on the site of a rural property that was 30 years old.
Zhuang played a key role in designing the business, which offers a spacious courtyard and recreation facilities such as a swimming pool, barbecue sets, a reading room and children's playground.
The guest rooms boast modern conveniences and imaginative designs, with some of the ceilings looking as though they are wrapped in cotton.
Guests enjoy their stay at the homestay owned by Zhuang Yue, a former interior decorator, in Zhoupu town, Shanghai, which offers a spacious courtyard and recreation facilities. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Visitors to the homestay watch the fireworks display from Shanghai Disneyland, which is about 4 kilometers away.
"One of the highlights of our place is that you can take a photograph in any area of it, and it will look great," Zhuang said
He decided to change his career path after traveling to Weizhou Island, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
"I stayed in a local homestay and it felt great. It was different from living in a hotel, as I could talk to other guests as though they were friends," he said.
Zhuang's homestay has become popular with travelers from Shanghai and neighboring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
"Our occupancy rate stayed above 80 percent throughout July and August," Zhuang said, adding that he believes only quality service and distinctive facilities can ensure the sustainable development of homestays.
According to experts in the industry, China's private homestays pay most attention to design, to cater to guests' desire to take photos.
Much to the surprise of Li, who owns the homestay at the foot of Tianmu Mountain, a group of special guests visit her business during work days to stage commercial shooting and team-building events.
She and her husband not only enjoy running the business, but they also find time to pursue their love of gardening and listening to music. They tend a 2,000-square-meter garden, which is home to a variety of plants, including roses, hydrangeas, osmanthus and cedar trees.
"It's the best of both worlds," Li said.
