[Photo provided to China Daily]

Success of rural attractions means farmers are getting rich, town head says

Editor's Note: Dalian, a coastal city in Liaoning province in Northeast China, has more to offer than agriculture. China Daily looks at some of the new ways that farmers have found to achieve prosperity.

Tourism is growing fast in the rural parts of Dalian, Liao-ning province, where attractions such as a popular lavender garden are transforming the living standards of residents.

The garden, called Ziyun Huaxi, is located in the town of Xiangying and covers an area of 73,000 square meters. It cost 80 million yuan ($13 million) to build, and has attracted 400,000 visitors a year since it opened in 2012.

Its success is an example of the way rural tourism has become a pillar industry in a town whose economy used to rely on sales of agricultural products.

The garden was laid out on former arable land that is leased to the company that operates it. Many farmers have decided against taking jobs as migrant workers in large cities far away from their hometown, and instead earn 100 yuan per hour working at the garden.

The idea of building the attraction was inspired by Yili in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the country's largest lavender-growing area.

Dalian is at about the same longitude as Yili and has plenty of sunshine, and these factors together make it a favorable environment for growing lavender.

The plant was introduced into China from Europe in the 1960s, and since then nine major growing areas have been established.

The flower signifies love, and as a result around 600 couples have their wedding photos taken at Ziyun Huaxi each year.