STORY: New job in new era: homestay manager in rural China
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 25, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 28, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:37
LOCATION: TIANJIN, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the village
2. various of the homestays
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LI WENTONG, Homestay owner
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LI WENTONG, Homestay owner
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LI WENTONG, Homestay owner
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): LI LEI, Local official, Daxingyu Village, Tianjin

STORYLINE:

Li Wentong, who had been working as an architect outside his village for nearly a decade, returned to his hometown in the rural area of north China's Tianjin Municipality in 2022 and established his own rural homestay.

In Tianjin's Jizhou District which boasts a beautiful landscape, many homestays, including the one run by Li in Daxingyu Village, have helped boost local tourism industry and economy.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LI WENTONG, Homestay owner
"I'm a native in Jizhou District. It has been my dream to have a house in a place surrounded by beautiful scenery since my childhood. Most importantly, I think China's countryside has great potential."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LI WENTONG, Homestay owner
"My homestay is the first one in Daxingyu Village. Later, there are many new ones sprouting up. These homestays have contributed to the village's environment and the development of its tourism."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LI WENTONG, Homestay owner
"Local government has issued many polices concerning about launching homestay services, such as low-interest loans. Besides, there are occupational training courses in the district and town. They all have helped rural homestay managers a lot."

During this year's New Year's Day holiday, the homestays and other cultural tourism destinations and shopping places in Jizhou District received a total of 530,000 visitors, with revenues exceeding 100 million yuan (about 14 million U.S. dollars), a significant year-on-year increase.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): LI LEI, Local official, Daxingyu Village, Tianjin
"Another 12 homestays have been founded since Li Wentong opened the first one about a year ago. The village's environment is becoming more and more beautiful, attracting increasingly more tourists. We will attract more investment to the village to further boost the integration of cultural and tourism industries."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Tianjin, China.
(XHTV)