Tianliu Village Turns Restored Qinling Foothills Into Tourism Economy

What changed

Tianliu Village, at the northern foot of China’s Qinling Mountains, has turned from a quiet mountain settlement into a tourism destination over roughly a decade.

In 2025:

• Annual visitors reached 300,000, up from fewer than 3,000.
• Collective economic income reached 1.2 million yuan.
• Tourism generated 9 million yuan.
• A village CEO brought together 12 lodging and farm-leisure businesses and 23 picking gardens.

Why it matters

Tianliu’s transformation began with infrastructure, not a catchy tourism slogan. From 2015, more than 30 million yuan was invested in projects in Qiaonan Town, including the restoration of 10 square kilometres of former mining land and the planting of 1,200 mu of water-conservation forest.

The village then built 4.8 kilometres of utility networks and two ecological wastewater treatment plants. More than 100 homes became distinctive guesthouse courtyards. By 2018, Tianliu Village, Tianliu Mountain Forest Park and a space-themed museum had been linked into one visitor area.

That created room for a broader local economy: camping, guesthouses, rural coffee, hotpot above the clouds and fruit-picking activities. The village’s first “rural CEO,” Liu Rong, arrived after working in Xi’an and used seasonal events such as a cherry-and-music festival, a rapeseed-flower season and a chestnut festival to bring the different businesses into one itinerary.

The reported results suggest that coordination mattered as much as scenery. Guesthouse occupancy rose 30%, while online sales of local specialties tripled after Liu integrated the businesses and upgraded the booking mini-program.

The more interesting point is what the village’s success does not yet prove. Visitor growth and tourism revenue show that Tianliu has found demand, but they do not establish household profits or whether the pace can last. For now, its clearest achievement is practical: the village turned environmental restoration, underused homes and scattered small businesses into a connected local economy, giving residents like Xue Xiao’e a way to work closer to home.