What changed
Zhongmu County in Henan is linking its eight major theme-park projects with nearby orchards, farms, rural homestays and village-made goods. In 2025, the county received more than 38 million tourists and recorded over 200 billion yuan in tourism revenue.
The handoff is already visible. Visitors can pick apples in Zhugu Village, join farm activities and buy crocheted goods made by more than 100 rural women, who reportedly earn an average extra 2,000 yuan a month.
Why it matters
The county is trying to turn a theme park visit into a longer trip through the surrounding countryside. That means the same visitor who watches a show at Only Henan·Drama Fantasy City might next eat local food, visit an orchard or spend time at a farm.
The model gives rural businesses access to traffic they would struggle to attract alone. A farm in Zhongmu reported more than 300 visitors a day during the recent harvest period. At Zhengzhou Fangte Tourism Resort, a shop sells handcrafts and local products made by rural producers, bringing another piece of village commerce into the tourist circuit.
The important shift is from a single attraction to a countywide chain of experiences. Zhongmu’s tourism authorities say they are building routes and adding consumption options so visitors move beyond one-off sightseeing. Whether that spending and household income last beyond peak seasons remains uncertain, but the county is making the rural economy part of the itinerary rather than leaving it outside the gates.
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