From January to July 2020, Wanzhou District received more than 8 million tourists. It generated 4.509 billion yuan revenue in total, according to the Wanzhou District Commission of Culture and Tourism Development on August 17.

Entrance to the Three Gorges Henghe Tourist Resort.

Over the years, Wanzhou District has been trying to explore a new path that prioritizes environmental protection and green development. To this end, it has focused on fostering distribution-oriented cultural tourism and leisure-oriented big health industry, becoming a pioneer in promoting green development along the Yangtze River.

On August 17, some tourists from Wanzhou’s city proper and surrounding areas went on a holiday at the Three Gorges Henghe Tourist Resort. Wang Kexiu, a 70-year-old resident, said that she took her grandson, whose summer vocation is near the end, here to enjoy the chill, quiet atmosphere in the high mountain area. She also praised that the leisure experience is getting better and better.

The Henghe Tujia Ethnic Township in Wanzhou has an edge in developing distribution-oriented cultural tourism and leisure-oriented big health industry, with its average altitude of 1,200 meters, the average yearly temperature of 10°C–18°C, and a forest coverage rate of over 65%. As tourism continues to flourish, homestay hoteling starts to boom in Henghe. So far, over 50 distinctive homestay hotels in the township have resumed operation. A leisure tourism model that integrates food, accommodation, and fun has taken shape in the resort.

A lake view of the Three Gorges Henghe Tourist Resort.

By taking advantage of its abundant natural resources like forests, lakes, and mountains, Wanzhou will stick to the new development concept, and accelerate the construction of the Three Gorges International Health City and the Three Gorges Henghe Tourist Resort.

Meanwhile, it will also steer the development of local regions with a high altitude, a high vegetation coverage, a sound ecology, and favorable development conditions to speed up a development landscape for leisure-oriented big health industry that is supported by the Three Gorges International Health City, the Three Gorges Henghe Tourist Resort and multiple growth poles and covers outer suburbs, suburbs, and towns.

In so doing, it aims to grow the leisure-oriented big health industry into a pillar of the local economy and develop a healthcare city in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River by 2025. These regions include Cizu Town, Yuejun Mountain, Fengxiangping Reservoir at Luotian Town, Dayakou Forest Park, Beike Mountain, Tiefeng Mountain, Dashanping, Qiyao Mountain, Rentou Township and Fenghuang Tea Town.