Design Approach and Method for Rural Homestays

Rural tourism in China has been gaining popularity in recent years, as more and more people seek a break from the fast-paced city life to reconnect with nature and learn about rural culture. With its abundance of natural resources and rich cultural heritage, China’s countryside offers a unique travel experience that is attracting an increasing number of visitors.

One of the most popular forms of accommodation for rural tourism in China is homestays. These are small-scale lodgings run by local families, offering visitors the chance to experience authentic rural life while enjoying comfortable accommodations.

Designing homestays in rural China requires a thoughtful approach that takes into account the needs of both guests and the local community. The first step is to understand the local culture and traditions, as well as the natural environment. This includes researching the history and customs of the region, as well as the local flora and fauna.

The next step is to design the homestay itself. When designing a homestay in rural China, it is important to create a space that blends seamlessly into the natural surroundings. This can be achieved through the use of locally sourced materials and traditional building techniques. For example, using timber and stone, or incorporating a courtyard design that allows for natural light and ventilation, can help create a rustic and comfortable atmosphere.

In addition to the physical design, it is also important to consider the services and activities that will be offered to guests. In rural China, this might include guided hikes or bike tours, cooking classes featuring local cuisine, or cultural performances. These activities provide visitors with a unique and immersive experience that allows them to connect with the local community and culture.

Another key consideration is sustainability. Homestays should be designed and operated in a way that minimizes their impact on the environment and supports the local economy. This might include using solar panels for electricity, composting toilets to reduce water usage, or sourcing food and other materials locally.

Ultimately, successful homestays in rural China are those that provide guests with a unique and authentic travel experience, while also supporting the local community and protecting the environment. Through thoughtful design and responsible operation, homestays can help promote sustainable rural tourism in China and provide visitors with an unforgettable travel experience.



Homestays, although small, are a lever for current tourism supply-side reform and rural development. Due to their small size, flexibility, and beauty, they are more likely to attract a large number of small and medium-sized capital investments and operators, activate a large amount of idle resources in society, and create diversified experiential products that are small yet refined, beautiful, and unique.

As national income increases, vacation opportunities multiply, the diversity of rural landscapes expands, and the trend of leisure tourism rises, rural areas can offer not only vacant rooms in self-use housing but also the reuse of idle agricultural facilities as accommodation and experiential facilities. Along with the development of agro-tourism, they can provide urbanites with places to relax and relieve stress, making it a win-win situation.

On the one hand, homestays provide tourists with an alternative to hotels and motels, offering a warm and homey atmosphere that is markedly different from normal lodging. They also attract people who want to experience local customs and culture up close. The popularity of guesthouses and homestays has made it necessary to display personality and characteristics in the social realm.

The significance of homestay development

The current trend of homestay development reflects changing urban (tourist) demands, satisfies new demands in contemporary leisure and holiday markets, and meets the new appeals of rural (tourism) development, fulfilling multiple appeals, such as structural reforms in supply-side, rural construction, encouraging small and medium-sized investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship.From a tourism perspective

With the development of transportation and the popularization of self-driving cars, self-drive tours, deep travel, free travel, and experiential travel have become popular trends. Homestays, based on knowledge economy, and relying on natural ecological environments, cater to the needs of tourists for free experiences that incorporate homestay design values.From an economic perspective

Homestays enhance the rural economy and good homestay designs can be a powerful driver of rural economic structural transformation, increasing farmers' income and driving the overall industry chain.From a cultural perspective

The development of homestays is beneficial for exploring and preserving local culture, history, and natural ecologies. Through modern cultural creativity, local cultures and customs are extended and inherited. Homestay design can also reshape the charm and cultural competitiveness of rural areas.From a social perspective

Homestay design is a bridge that carries modern urban civilization genes to rural areas, catering to modern people's interests, dreams, lifestyle concepts, and aesthetic needs. It promotes the improvement of farmers' quality, changes their way of life, and elevates rural social values. Therefore, the development of homestays will become a new grip for the integrated development of eco-agriculture and tourism.


Design purposes and principles of rural homestays: Design purposes:To address the current imbalance between urban and rural areas, sharing space and facilitating diverse cultural exchange.
To promote employment and improve the quality of material and spiritual life.
To return to nature and live in harmony with nature.
To have sustainable development significance.

Design principles of rural homestays:Respect for nature - every place has its unique natural environment and resource endowment.
Respect for humanity - space is born out of people.
Respect for the market - norms in management processes.
Sustainability - giving life to space.

Characteristics of rural homestay design:

Regional and local features - the landscape planning and design of rural homestays should reflect their regional and cultural characteristics. Local elements should be utilized fully to maintain the authenticity of rural resources and create a rural image. The use of traditional local architectural styles and vegetation, the preservation of the existing rural landscape, and encouragement measures to maintain local agricultural ecological civilization are essential. Moreover, local customs, folklore, festivals, arts and crafts, such as tea art, bamboo art, painting, sculpture, and sericulture history, are all important components of rural cultural life and can be designed to enhance the regional and cultural characteristics of rural homestays' landscapes.


Comprehensive nature - the landscape design of rural homestays needs to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to consider and design them as a whole. This will achieve the coordinated development of tourism functions and ecological environments, realizing their optimal utilization. Special attention should be paid to the planting of native rural plants in the courtyard and surroundings to create an overall environmental atmosphere.

Agricultural experiential - rural homestay landscape provides tourists with an important carrier for experiencing rural life and agriculture. In the design, respect for local rural agricultural landscapes protects historical rural features to enable them to become authentic rural farms. Moreover, providing agricultural-related scenic spots and courses can offer visitors a comprehensive agricultural experience.

Ecological naturalness - rural homestay landscape design emphasizes natural beauty, ecological harmony, aesthetic harmony, and the integration of the environment to reduce artificial modification of landscapes. The design should focus on the natural agricultural scenery of the countryside, such as terraced terrain, colorful hybrid forests, wildflowers on country paths, moss-covered stones at village entrances, and wooden fences. Appropriate planning and design of artistic ecology will create an excellent rural atmosphere. Borrowing from idyllic pastoral scenery, visitors can enjoy the colorful fields, beautiful farmland, rolling hills, winding streams, lush forests, and vaguely visible villages by setting up viewing platforms and low walls to appreciate the rural scenery outside the garden.

Considerations for rural homestay design: In rural homestay design, space and buildings should be preserved, renovated, or demolished based on actual conditions.

Preserve:

Buildings with a sense of historical era that are relatively intact; traditional courtyard structures with complete spatial layouts; functional and structurally sound dwellings; exquisitely crafted historic components and valuable ancient building components that cannot be restored; pleasant spatial scales; and a strong sense of life.

Renovate:

Dwellings with unclear structural designs and unreasonable functional designs; facades of some street-side buildings can be renovated to introduce certain functions (such as commercial and leisure activities); residual components can be diversified through landscape design or collected in exhibition halls on the site; and abandoned sites without value can be used as leisure and entertainment spaces.

Demolish:

Buildings that cannot be repaired, renovated or are idle; and illegally constructed buildings.

Key points of rural homestay landscape design:

Orderly space and year-round scenery: In the spatial design of rural homestay landscapes, vertical space can be divided into different levels by designing different trees, shrubs, and ground-covering plants. The combination of different elements such as flowers, plants, paths, and other elements in horizontal space design can make the landscape more natural and beautiful. Moreover, the design should not only consider the needs of one season but rather analyze each season specifically to ensure that there are no barren scenes in any season. When selecting plant species, the diversity and variations of flowers and trees during autumn and winter should also be considered to create landscape scenery throughout the year.


Rational function and perfect form: In rural homestay landscape design, various functional needs should be considered, such as placing agricultural tools, rotating space, grain drying space, and space for poultry and livestock activities. Specific attention should be paid to functionality to design suitable aesthetic forms, such as planting medium-sized trees that can be used for shading, drying grain support structures, and clotheslines. Additionally, due to the characteristics of rural homestays, 1-2 medium-to-small-sized fruit trees, such as persimmon, peach, and pear trees, can also be planted in homestay courtyards to increase economic benefits.

Multifaceted and natural beauty: Rural homestay landscape design should first and foremost have functional appropriateness. Landscaping should be suitable for functionality and not blindly pursue high, large, or abstract individual features. Secondly, the form should be appropriate and harmonious with the functional design, forming a harmony between the objective and visual experience. Finally, it should be aesthetically appropriate, satisfying aesthetic needs in addition to functional and formal requirements. In rural homestay landscape design, aesthetic beauty should be primarily reflected in natural beauty. Natural beauty is what people seek and expect from the experience of rural homestay landscapes.

Using local resources and innovative utilization:

In homestay landscape design, designers should consider the actual needs of farmers and use the principle of being the cheapest, most convenient, and most economical as a starting point for landscape design.

Local resources can be used to beautify landscapes; for example, unsightly and lifeless lime or mud brick walls can be decorated or blocked using flower walls or green hedges. Vining vegetables and fruits such as loofah, gourds, and cucumbers can be guided using simple and elegant wooden trellises.

Additionally, using recyclable waste from daily life is also an excellent design idea. Bottles and jars from discarded waste materials can be used as raw materials to make the best flower pots, courtyard pieces, wall decorations, and more in rural homestay landscape design.

As long as designers have a creative mindset and are good at innovatively utilizing rural materials, sustainable rural homestay landscapes that are low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and economical will emerge.

In summary, although homestays are small, they are leveraged as a driving force for current tourism supply-side reform and rural development. Due to their small size, lightness, and beauty, they are more likely to attract a large number of social small and medium-sized capital, numerous investment operators, and activate a large amount of idle resources in society, creating diverse and high-quality experiential products. While stimulating and leading new demands for tourism and leisure, they create livable, visitable, and business-friendly rural communities, revitalizing rural areas, continuing local culture and lifestyles, enhancing cultural confidence and life confidence, transforming people's value concepts about rural life, and driving the development of more rural communities, allowing cities and rural areas to interact positively and sustainably. Therefore, the social significance of homestay development far exceeds its economic value.

"Homestays Plus": Creating a New Living Space

Rural homestays are undoubtedly an invention of modern urbanites, and a fashionable product that meets the leisure and vacation needs of current urban residents under extremely prosperous material and cultural living conditions. Since homestays are established in relatively underdeveloped rural areas, there will inevitably be collisions between old and new cultures, ideas, and consciousness, which will lead to a series of upgrades and iterations in forms and formats, from ancient to modern, from vulgar to refined, from rural to urban, from food to lodging, from mass to high-end, from local specialty to cultural and creative products.

Development stages of homestays - from individual to cluster to integrated homestays

Looking back at homestays in China, they have experienced a leapfrog development in both quantity and quality over the past decade, evolving from 1.0 era farmhouse-style bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), 2.0 era youth hostels and guesthouses, 3.0 era premium boutique homestays for leisure travelers, to the current 4.0 era, which emphasizes personalized products and high-end experiences.

In the budding period (1.0 era), homestays appeared first in economically developed coastal areas. At that time, the concept of "homestays" simply referred to farmers renting out part of their living quarters to tourists as accommodation facilities.

During the transitional period (2.0 era), with the improvement of people's consumption levels, many people began to enjoy staying in summer resorts and vacation villas. Owners of these properties began to learn hotel management skills and upgrade their facilities to include standard rooms, air conditioning, and showers. This marked a clear distinction between 2.0 era homestays and the earlier 1.0 era farmhouse B&Bs. Many family-run guesthouses also emerged during this stage, converting idle houses into accommodations for tourists.

In the high-speed development period (3.0 era) after 2007, the middle class became the main consumer group for homestays in China. They had higher requirements for the quality of their accommodation, were more likely to take vacations than business trips, and needed periodic family vacation activities. These demands led to the development of high-end homestays in China, with Yunnan and Zhejiang being key areas.

The rise of social media platforms such as Weibo in 2009 and WeChat in 2011 accelerated the spread of word-of-mouth recommendations for homestays. This, coupled with the emergence of a group of popular Internet celebrities, contributed to the growth of large-scale homestay clusters in many areas, particularly the Moganshan area of Zhejiang province and the Yemaoling area of Pujiang county.

In the current 4.0 era, homestays are no longer limited to traditional architectural forms. They not only embody local cultural characteristics but also reflect artistic refinement. The buildings are more environmentally friendly, and location selection requirements are becoming increasingly strict. Homestays in this era will incorporate many artistic design elements, offering personalized products and high-end experiences that appeal to people's curiosity.

Homestays in the 4.0 era combine the features of the 3.0 era, providing a vacation art experience that expands horizons and focuses on spiritual growth. With the promotion of "all-for-one tourism" in China, homestays will be deeply integrated with downstream industries such as scenic spots, catering, leisure, socializing, health, and elderly care, forming an ecological park for the industry. In the future, the fusion of multiple scenarios under the "homestays plus" model will become more prevalent and extend to fields such as study tours, cultural and creative products, sightseeing agriculture, and even technology, creating multi-scenario, multi-theme, and multi-group development and application.

Typical examples: Yellow River Suji Homestay Cluster.




The concept of integrated homestays (suji)

Integrated homestays, or suji, are a new type of accommodation concept that is not simply a grouping of several individual homestays, but rather a homestay cluster created by several homestay brands working together. Through resource integration, activating industry formats, and reshaping local culture, suji can activate historical heritage and natural landscapes from different perspectives, forming a cluster effect greater than the sum of its parts. This makes suji a high-quality homestay cluster with strong cohesion.

The small scale of individual homestays limits their ability to leverage government resources. However, the resource integration, brand aggregation, market linkage sales force, and special support services of suji make it possible to create an entire industrial chain and overcome the bottleneck of homestay expansion and chain development. Suji reduces the risk of homestay development while achieving resource sharing and maximizing benefits.

For example, the Yellow River Suji integrates five top-end homestay brands: Feinao Collection, Xipo, Xuli Wilderness, DaLe Zhiye, and South Bank, positioning itself as China's most high-end resort destination. Homestay clusters also create many non-guest room content ecosystems, breaking through the revenue ceiling of homestays through secondary consumption markets and creating a fusion business format for homestay clusters.

Homestays as an effective entry point for rural tourism

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Developing rural tourism based on rich red cultural resources and green ecological resources, and revitalizing rural economies, is a good practice for reviving rural areas." As an effective entry point for developing rural tourism, rural homestays have great potential.

Homestays and rural areas are closely linked. As homestays become the entry point for rural revitalization, they can attract more young people back to rural areas, redirecting urban tourists to rural areas, revitalizing the countryside and creating a new urban-rural interaction. Homestays, as the intermediary link, not only bring in more homestay tourists but also drive non-standard homestay tourism groups, promoting cross-industry events.

The development of rural homestays corresponds to modern people's pursuit of getting away from the hustle and bustle, getting close to nature, and exploring nostalgia, playing a pivotal role in promoting rural tourism.

Attracting Strong Investment, Nurturing Excellence, Creating Buzz, and Shaping the Soul of Homestays

Homestays are a sub-category of the traditional accommodation industry, with low entry barriers and high homogeneity. Regulatory authorities can consider introducing mid- to high-end brands and exploring local characteristics to promote industry standardization while breaking the deadlock of investor protection through the use of external mid- to high-end brands. By leveraging these brands, local homestay operators can improve their products and service concepts, promoting healthy competition and further enhancing regional advantages. Cooperation with domestic and international renowned homestay creative agencies, operating and management institutions, and marketing planning agencies should also be strengthened to attract precise investment and brand partnerships, focusing on developing a group of premium homestays with nationwide influence.

To nurture excellence, it is essential to guide homestays towards becoming refined, high-quality, and high-end. We should focus on cultivating rural homestay tourism destinations and demonstration sites, boosting local tourism economic development, and satisfying the demands of high-end consumers for quality and premium travel experiences. The enterprise leaders should drive resident self-employment development, promote the clustering development of homestays and tourism industries based on the utilization of local idle resources, and form homestay industry clusters to increase market share.

In creating buzz, innovative promotional methods and diverse channels should be employed to tell the story of homestays, advance homestay brand internationalization and image building. Leveraging high-quality influencing resources and professional marketing or operation institutions in the homestay field, we should establish dedicated homestay promotion agencies, fully utilizing big data, artificial intelligence, cloud services, and other technological means to plan and implement mobile internet-based strategies, expand regional brand influence, and enhance market visibility.

The soul of homestays lies in culture. Uniqueness and attraction stem from distinct cultural features. Regarded as one of the most sentimental tourism investment projects, homestays will lose their essence if they neglect deep-rooted, authentic culture. A distinct cultural feature can effectively enhance the added value of homestay products and enrich consumer experience. In developing the homestay economy, we should not only comply with national standards but also create local landmarks by thoroughly examining local resources, digging into cultural connotations, and realizing "cultural presentation." We should increase awareness of cultural integration in planning and design, architectural design, functional design, visual design, appearance design, color design, business format planning, service design, and industrial chain expansion. Top-notch design concepts and architectural presentations, rich humanistic activities, and more refined services can promote differentiated homestay development, explore suitable ways to integrate colorful regional cultures into homestays' details, and enhance the overall homestay experience. Additionally, we should actively introduce creative talents with relevant experiences, deeply excavate regional characteristics, develop customized services for each node, and further showcase local culture, charm, and unique features.




Collaboration

Efforts should be made to support key industries and extended industries related to the development of the homestay economy, such as leisure agriculture, forestry, fisheries, health maintenance, culture, transportation, commerce, logistics, etc. We should cultivate a batch of "homestay+" integrated economic formats, develop "homestay+ experience," "homestay+ specialty products," "homestay+ exhibition," and "homestay+ cultural creativity," etc., increase the proportion of non-accommodation revenue in homestay revenue, inject new vitality into premium homestays, and improve the economic benefits of the homestay industry.

The Charming Scenery of Ordos Homestays

Recently, "Travel China" launched a special report column on the Two Sessions, pointing out that folk homestays in the Yellow River Grand Canyon of Ordos have become popular. "In 2021, the Xiaoya Inn in the Zuoqi section of the Yellow River Grand Canyon was rated as the first batch of national A-level tourist homestays," said Li Yancong, general manager of the Cultural Tourism Investment Co., Ltd. of Zuoqi. "This is our creative implementation of the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech!

Next, let's explore the beauty of "National-level" homestays. The report states that Xiaoya Inn is located within a traditional village with a deep historical background in the Yellow River Grand Canyon of Ordos. Based on the original traditional villages, personalized tourist homestays have been improved and built with "one courtyard, one product, one room, one view" features. All building exteriors are made from locally sourced materials, with locally preferred yellow rock used for construction. Internally, cultural themes such as fishing, farming, Yellow River culture, and cave dwellings are integrated to enhance the living experience, showcasing modern aesthetics throughout. At the same time, there are supporting facilities including characteristic restaurants, Yellow River Cultural Creative Shop, bars, picking gardens, regular mini-marketplaces, leisure parks, and other diverse homestay formats, providing tourists with immersive leisure vacation experiences. The report further states that the Yellow River Grand Canyon of Ordos has seized the development opportunities of the Yellow River Culture Park and the development of the word "Yellow River", fully leveraging its unique resource advantages and exploring the essence of Yellow River culture and vast culture while trying out the "scenic area + homestay" model, allowing visitors to experience natural beauty within the scenic area and folk customs in rural areas.






To experience rural life in Ordos, in addition to homestays, visitors can also enjoy rural tourism and immerse themselves in the tranquility of country life. Here, there is no noise of the city, but rather the beautiful scenery of bird songs and fragrant flowers in the pastoral landscape, making it an ideal destination for those wishing to return to nature.

Yifengzhai is located in Guanming Village, Subulugaxiang, Yijinhuoluoqi, and is a comprehensive rural holiday village integrating green agriculture, ecological tourism, leisure vacation, sports and entertainment, catering, and accommodation. The resort includes modern agriculture, characteristic tourism, picking experiences, leisure fishing, barbecue camping, and pastoral communities.

Zhao Dajian Cultural House is located in Donghaixin Village, Shulinzhao Town, Dalateqi, Ordos City. The beautiful scenery of the Hetao pastoral landscape and Yellow River fishing village make it a national third-phase agricultural comprehensive development zone. Zhao Dajian Cultural Courtyard has been named as a "three-star rural tourism reception household for agriculture and animal husbandry." By holding festivals and exhibitions, promoting tourism in towns and villages, developing business, transportation, catering, entertainment, and advertising industries, it has promoted the transformation of the rural economic structure, increased farmer income, driven rural tourism and cultural industries, and created good social and economic benefits.

The Grassland Love Song Ecological Park is located in Angsuga Township, Eqianqi. It has complete infrastructure and network coverage, capable of accommodating more than 400 people for dining at the same time. Its purpose is to "inherit ethnic culture and showcase the charm of the grasslands," with leisure tourism sightseeing, catering and accommodation as the core, leveraging its grassland scenery, ethnic cuisine and culture, and music and dance resources. They have successfully formed their own artistic group - the Prodigal Brothers, using Mongolian instruments and singing to tell visitors about the dawn and night of the grasslands.

Zhejiang Homestays: From Brutal Growth to Standing Alone

In Zhejiang Province, China, homestays have grown rapidly over the past few years. In 2015, there were only about 1000 homestays in Zhejiang, but by 2020, that number had exceeded 50,000. This rapid development has caused problems such as uneven quality, a lack of regulation, and even illegal operations.

However, some homestay owners have been able to stand out from the crowd and establish themselves in the industry. They have invested in the quality of their properties, provided unique experiences for guests, and maintained responsible operations.

One such example is the "Dujuanshan Art House" in Moganshan, Deqing County, which offers a tranquil environment and artistic atmosphere. The owner, Wu Jun, renovated an old house and turned it into an art gallery and homestay. He also provides his guests with opportunities to learn about traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy.

Another successful homestay is the "Haifeng Yunge" in Ninghai County, which offers a seaside getaway with a unique cultural experience. The owner, Lin Xiuzhen, preserves the local culture by providing guests with access to traditional fishing methods and seafood cuisine.

These examples show that despite the challenges faced by the homestay industry in Zhejiang, there are still opportunities for success with thoughtful planning, investment, and commitment to quality and authenticity.




Homestays are a way for travelers to experience local life in depth, while for locals, they are a sunrise industry that taps into the value of rural areas and creates jobs and wealth. With a series of favorable policies, the homestay industry is experiencing a new wave of development. Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Standardization Management Committee jointly issued the "Basic Requirements and Classification of Tourist Homestays" (GB/T 41648-2022) national standard. The "national standard", which was developed by experts organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism over five years of in-depth research and discussions throughout the country, provides a powerful reference for tourism management departments and operators and an effective consumer guide for tourists, promoting the high-quality development of China's homestay industry.

The drafting units of the "national standard" include the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Zhejiang Tourism Vocational College. As one of its main drafting units, we have deep feelings and many experiences when looking back on the birth process of the "national standard". Around 2010, homestays as a new type of tourist accommodation emerged in various parts of the country, but most of them were operated by operators using their own homes, and they generally faced problems such as incomplete policies and regulations in land use, public safety, fire protection, and sanitation. On April 25, 2013, the "Tourism Law of the People's Republic of China" was promulgated, which clearly stated that "the management measures for urban and rural residents to use their own housing or other conditions to engage in tourism operations shall be formulated by provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government." This provided a basis for the legal development of homestays and authorized localities to formulate their own management measures, encouraging them to explore and innovate, and providing a broad stage for the standardized, scaled, and branded development of homestays in Zhejiang.

After that, the tourism authorities in Zhejiang cooperated with public security, fire protection, market supervision, construction and other departments to conduct in-depth research on homestays in various places, while compiling the "Basic Requirements and Evaluation of Homestays" local standards and promoting local legislation.

On September 25, 2015, the "Zhejiang Provincial Tourism Regulations" were promulgated, which put forward for the first time that "urban and rural residents are encouraged to use their own housing or other conditions to start homestays. Relevant departments should issue relevant business licenses to those who meet the conditions." In December 2016, the General Office of the People's Government of Zhejiang Province timely issued the "Guiding Opinions on Determining the Scope and Conditions of Homestays", and the public security, industry and commerce, food and drug supervision and other departments also promptly followed up with policies, clarifying the process and escorting the development of homestays. In less than a year, more than 10,000 tourist homestays obtained special industry permits and legal operating status, breaking through the problem of the legalization of homestay operations at the provincial level for the first time.

With the effectiveness of local exploration becoming apparent, the national standard for homestays was accelerated. The former National Tourism Administration led research and discussions in each province, solicited opinions from multiple dimensions, and perfected and revised the first industry standard for homestays in China, the "Basic Requirements and Evaluation of Tourist Homestays" (LB/T 065-2017), which was published on August 15, 2017. At the same time, the application for the standardization of tourist homestays was included in the third batch of national standard revision plans for 2017 by the National Standardization Management Committee.

In the same year, Zhejiang further explored and innovated, issuing local standards, formulating evaluation rules, organizing expert teams, and launching the first batch of graded homestay evaluations. According to the stricter "Basic Requirements and Evaluation of Homestays" local standard, a total of 122 graded homestays were selected, including platinum, gold, and silver levels, setting a demonstration benchmark for the quality improvement of homestays throughout the province.

From weak to strong, from no standards to standards, innovation has been the thread running through it all. Bold experimentation and action in local areas, combined with the "streamlining administration and delegating power" at the national level, have given birth to today's homestay "national standard", which will undoubtedly play an unprecedented role in promoting the industry's development.

It must be seen that in the rapid development of tourist homestays, there are also many problems and hidden dangers. The first is the problem of "ownerless" homestays. The "national standard" clearly states that "tourist homestays must be owned, leased or authorized by the operators themselves." It requires that operators should have legal ownership of the property, and obtain relevant approval documents, such as land use certificates, building permits, business licenses, etc. This will help to avoid the phenomenon of "ownerless" homestays, which may pose risks to tourists' personal and property safety.

The second is the problem of quality control. To promote the high-quality development of the homestay industry, the "national standard" sets strict requirements for the hardware facilities, service quality, hygiene and safety, environmental protection, and cultural characteristics of tourist homestays. Operators should strictly implement the standards and regulations, and provide tourists with safe, comfortable, and personalized accommodation experiences. Meanwhile, competent authorities should strengthen supervision and inspection, and crack down on illegal activities such as false publicity, overcharging, and poor service quality.

The third is the problem of sustainable development. The homestay industry should follow the principles of ecological conservation, resource conservation, and environmental protection, and strive to achieve sustainable development. The "national standard" emphasizes the importance of protecting natural resources, cultural heritage, and local customs, and encourages operators to adopt eco-friendly and low-carbon measures in their operation and management.

In conclusion, the issuance of the "Basic Requirements and Classification of Tourist Homestays" (GB/T 41648-2022) national standard marks a new stage in the development of China's homestay industry. It is expected to promote the standardized, healthy, and sustainable development of the industry, improve the quality of tourism services, enhance the competitiveness of rural tourism destinations, and enrich the cultural experience of tourists. However, the implementation of the standard still faces many challenges and requires the joint efforts of all parties to achieve success.

03 From Emerging Industry to Shared Prosperity Industry In recent years, Zhejiang has always adhered to the principle of government guidance and market entities, and in accordance with the requirements of high-quality development, regards shared prosperity as the fundamental direction and continuous income increase of farmers as the fundamental task. Local governments have issued more than 200 documents and adopted various policies to promote the development of homestays. With the deepening of all-for-one tourism and the accelerating construction of beautiful countryside, it has provided a solid ecological foundation and fertile development soil for the development of tourism homestays. Faced with the impact of the epidemic, Zhejiang released and implemented the local standard "Basic Requirements and Evaluation of Homestays," formulated the three-year action plan (2020-2022) for improving the quality of rural homestays in Zhejiang Province, established the first provincial tourism homestay industry association in China, promoted the pilot reform of "homestays (farmhouse inns) assisting rural revitalization" in Zhejiang Province, developed a dynamic management system for homestays, publishes an annual homestay "blue book", cultivates cultural-themed (non-heritage) homestays, carries out micro-upgrades and improvements for homestay transformation, launches "Ten Million Red Envelope Tour in Zhejiang" and 519 homestay special sales livestreaming, and deeply cooperates with sales platforms to help homestay owners broaden their marketing channels and increase customer sources, etc., forming a series of combinations. The homestay industry has undergone multidimensional leapfrog development from an overlooked, non-scale emerging industry to a sunrise industry that rejuvenates rural areas, narrowing the urban-rural gap and promoting common prosperity.

Zhejiang has become a pioneer, innovator, and model for the development of homestays. Nearly 20,000 homestays are registered in the province's public security system, of which 96.5% hold special industry licenses, with a total of more than 300,000 beds, driving nearly 200,000 employment opportunities. Through five years of standard guidance, the province has evaluated a total of 858 homestays, including 52 platinum-rated, 138 gold-rated, and 668 silver-rated homestays, as well as 40 cultural-themed homestays, including 12 non-heritage homestays. Homestays of different types and characteristics are scattered throughout ancient towns, villages, high mountains, and islands, becoming windows and spokespersons for telling good stories about the beautiful rural life in Zhejiang.

04 From "Zhewei Yangfan" to Opening a New Chapter Since the reform and opening up, there have been few influential national standards in China's accommodation industry. It is evident that the national standard "Classification and Evaluation of Tourism Hotels Star Rating" has been issued, and for more than 30 years, it has promoted the development of China's hotel industry, ushering in one wave after another of peaks. Tourist star-rated hotels have always led the development direction of the industry, while also promoting the comprehensive improvement of the industry's quality and gaining broad social recognition of service levels, making tourist star-rated hotels the earliest and most widely influential service brand in the minds of Chinese consumers. Looking back on the development process of China's star-rated hotels, we can profoundly feel that the first "national standard" for tourism homestays has extraordinary significance for the overall development of the tourism homestay industry. It will enable government industry regulators to grasp a direction with clear guidelines, help homestay owners improve their services according to specific clauses, provide consumers with discernible labels when choosing homestays, and provide work guidelines for operators, regulators, and investors, allowing China's services to take root in rural areas, helping homestays become a bright scenery line showcasing the beautiful rural life of China.

Currently, the "14th Five-Year Plan for Cultural Development" issued by the Central Committee and the State Council proposes to create a unique Chinese cultural tourism experience and "establish a national list of preferred rural homestays" and "rationalize the management system for tourist accommodation such as hotels and homestays"; the "14th Five-Year Plan for Tourism Industry Development" clearly stated that it will "optimize accommodation supply and support innovative development of characteristic homestays and theme hotels", and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and other 10 departments jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the High-quality Development of Rural Homestays"; the "14th Five-Year Plan for Tourism Industry Development in Zhejiang Province" also specifically pointed out that "it is necessary to accelerate the development of cluster, specialized, and industrialized homestays." Turning the page to zero and starting anew, setting sail toward a new journey, the release of the homestay national standard is not only an essential requirement for high-quality development, but also an innovative concept that keeps up with the times, and more importantly, it is an effective practice exploration. Looking to the future, Zhejiang must shoulder the mission of the times, taking the implementation of the homestay national standard as an opportunity, learning from the good practices of other provinces, benchmarking against standards, making plans before taking action, focusing on the integration and innovation of the homestay industry, systematized supply, quality experience, brand leadership, and shared driving, making homestays an important part of the "livable, enjoyable, prosperous, and colorful" "poetic dwelling" life landscape in rural areas, and making rural homestays a cultural tourism golden name card with Zhejiang characteristics.

With the wind in our sails, we are embarking on a new journey. The development of homestays can provide more and more tourists with poetic travel experiences, help local people create a beautiful life, and realize the vision of rural revitalization. We have reason to believe that tomorrow's tourism homestays will be even better.

Following Celebrities to Travel in Chiang Mai: Revealing the Accommodation of Big Names.

When it comes to celebrities associated with Chiang Mai, people often think of Teresa Teng. Some say that she elevated the charm of Chiang Mai. However, if it weren't for Chiang Mai's attractiveness that first drew Teresa Teng, how could it have led to the endless stories about this small city and even made stars like Leslie Cheung, Wang Han, Yang Lele, Shen Teng, Gao Yuanyuan and others love it so much?








Teresa Teng's song "Story of Small Towns" melted the hearts of many with dreams of Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai is well known as one of the locations in the movie "Lost in Thailand". This is where Xu Zheng, Wang Baoqiang, and Huang Bo laugh and curse at each other. The train from Bangkok races through the colorful forests of northern Thailand, and the brilliant sunlight and mottled tree shadows interweave a simple exotic atmosphere. Chiang Mai's leisurely and comfortable lifestyle is shown in a unique and affectionate manner amidst the interference of three outsiders.

Apart from creating box office miracles, "Lost in Thailand" also ignited the tourism fever in Chiang Mai.

In the recent hit reality show "We Are in Love", the "Koala Couple" Wu Xin and Will Pan chose Chiang Mai as the location for their first date trip, continuing to provide viewers with intense laughter and sweet moments. Observing the large number of elephant figurines in Wu Xin's home, Will Pan took her to the Elephant PooPoo Paper Park as the first stop in their Chiang Mai trip, where they not only had close contact with elephants but also experienced the whole process of making paper out of elephant dung together, sharing sweet moments.

In addition to songs, movies and variety shows, many celebrities are also die-hard fans of Chiang Mai and vacation here. Let's follow in the footsteps of these stars and experience the city of a thousand faces.

Experience Chiang Mai's slow life like Leslie Cheung

The Four Seasons Hotel loved by elder brother

There is no need to say much about Teresa Teng's affection for Chiang Mai. But there is one person who must be remembered in Chiang Mai, and that is Leslie Cheung. You may not know that he owned property No. 1 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chiang Mai and would stay there every year. His biography also mentions happy days spent here.

"I enjoy my own life, reading quietly, listening to records, watching movies, thinking." - Leslie Cheung

The fragrance of rice in the air at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chiang Mai makes you forget all your troubles as soon as you arrive here.

The Four Seasons Hotel completely matches elder brother's quiet personality. It is situated in the tranquil tropical scenery of Chiang Mai with rice fields filled with rice seedlings beside it. A few water buffalo on the field, a few ponds, and the brilliant starry sky at night, with the sound of frogs croaking one after another. Being here, you feel like you're not in one of the "Top Ten Unique Luxury Hotels in the World", but rather in the poetic countryside life depicted by Tao Yuanming's pen.

Imagine a beautiful day starting like this: comfortably enjoying breakfast amidst the fragrance of rice, with a gentle breeze blowing, and the private butler from the Four Seasons offering you a refreshing drink. The sunshine, the scenery, the wine, every detail is enchanting.

Nowadays, we can also choose to take a break at the Four Seasons Hotel, returning to the embrace of nature, and enjoying a moment of tranquility for our body and mind like elder brother did.

Chiang Mai leisure classic "slow life" experience

In Chiang Mai, many people, like elder brother, have found a sense of belonging and come here to enjoy the slow life. There are no crowded crowds, only the slowly flowing peaceful times. In the streets and alleys, spending an hour or an afternoon enjoying a spa, just like elder brother did, is possible. When the special fragrance of essential oils and spices permeates the air, it immediately relaxes your body and mind, pleasing all your senses.

If you want to experience Chiang Mai's slow life like elder brother did, you should also go to listen to sutras in front of Buddha and seek inner peace. In Chiang Mai, temples and Buddhist halls can be seen everywhere, with a clean and kind-hearted atmosphere pervading the streets and alleys. Many places exude a unique sense of seclusion. The White Temple in Chiang Mai is such an existence. The pure white color of the temple stands out alone, shining like silver in the sunshine. The Black Temple is a museum, decorated with various ancient devil images in a black building complex that complements the White Temple.




Experience a Chiang Mai Honeymoon like Shen Teng

Celebrities such as Shen Teng and Chen Yirong have chosen Chiang Mai for their weddings.

Shen Teng, known for his work in the Happy Camp comedy group and movies such as "Goodbye, Mr. Loser" and "The Island," ended his 12-year courtship with girlfriend Wang Qi in a low-key wedding ceremony in Chiang Mai, Thailand last year. They chose Chiang Mai because the city's temperament was similar to their own love story - calm, steady and enduring. In this quiet town, they had their own wedding, and that was enough!

In recent years, not only celebrities but also more and more ordinary tourists have chosen to get married or go on honeymoon in Chiang Mai. Being with loved ones in Chiang Mai, holding hands, and enjoying afternoon tea together is perhaps the perfect picture of a beautiful love story.

Classic Experiences for a Romantic Chiang Mai HoneymoonThe Twin Dragon Temple: Pray for Luck and Love Before Buddha

Go to the Twin Dragon Temple in Suthep Mountain, northern Thailand, with your beloved one, light candles, and take lotus flowers to circle the temple three times to pray for your future together.Zipline Adventure in the Jungle

Glide through the trees at heights of up to several dozen meters and experience an adrenaline rush reminiscent of being Tarzan rescuing Jane.

You can also ride elephants through the jungle at Chiang Mai Mae Sa Elephant Camp.

If you're planning to get married, you can even have an extraordinary elephant wedding there that you'll never forget!Stay at the Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai and Feel Relaxed

In a fast-paced world, it's not easy to truly relax and unwind. But in Chiang Mai, there is a place where both privacy-conscious celebrities and families with children can spend some worry-free time together - the Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai.

The resort, highly favored by stars from the entertainment industries of both China and Thailand, is different from other resorts. It's more lively and dynamic, filled with small treasures that the owner has carefully collected from various places. From little elephant stools to ethnic cushions and rocking horses that children love, the resort is full of childlike fun that instantly relaxes your mind.Explore Chiang Mai at Night Like Ni Ni and Gao Yuan Yuan

Baixian County, a street photographer's paradise Vintage vehicles are seen everywhere on the streets of Baixian County.

Located near the border with Myanmar, Baixian County is a county in Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand, and takes more than three hours’ drive from Chiang Mai city center. Baixian County is a must-visit destination for many small fresh and literary youth. Many Thai dramas' plots can be found here. Even street photography experts such as Ni Ni and Gao Yuan Yuan have taken great photos here.

Baixian County has simple and natural pastoral scenery, romantic and elegant yellow houses, warm and peaceful coffee shops, broad observation decks, fresh and beautiful World War II memorial bridges, and even pirate captains with thick makeup. Whether you're a couple or with your girlfriends, every turn will allow you to take beautiful photographs. The time spent traveling is fleeting, but with pictures, you can record yourself on the road.

Conclusion

This is Chiang Mai, the small town loved by Leslie Cheung during his lifetime, the witness to Shen Teng's love promise, and the secret place that Wang Han and Lele don't want to leave. You can use countless words to describe it, but can't define it because it is Chiang Mai, the promised land where you belong. If you're moved, just go and who knows, you might even meet a big celebrity at the airport!

10 "pitfalls" of country house development and operation

 China's country houses have experienced a development process from scratch and from small to large, and have now become an important format of rural tourism, an important driving force for rural economic growth and an important starting point for comprehensively promoting rural revitalization. However, due to the dual challenges of consumption upgrading and the impact of the epidemic, the development of many country houses is currently facing the test of practical problems such as lack of characteristic operation and lack of multi-channel income increase...

01 

Property rights

At present, there is a very important, but unsolvable problem in country houses, which is the problem of property rights. Before the state officially realized the market circulation of property rights in rural homesteads, there were risks in the issue of property rights in country houses.

After all, both asset management and compliance issues of leasing entities are based on property rights. At present, rural houses generally only have land use certificates, and there are no documents certifying the construction on the land, and all local governments can do at present is to promote the real estate registration system.

What the future of policy will be is not yet known. The uncertainty of government policies has also led to relatively insufficient government support, insufficient support for rural entrepreneurs, and lack of reasonable laws to protect rural entrepreneurs or institutions.

Even the policies and regulations are not perfect, the clerks are difficult, and there is nothing they can do in the face of unreasonable demands from some villagers. In addition, many homestays do not have a formal business license, which is also a hidden danger in the process of operation.

02

Spirit of cooperation

It is undeniable that most villages are relatively backward, and villagers lack the spirit of cooperation, legal awareness and contract spirit.

For example, the aborigines of some scenic spots have seen that foreigners renting houses have gradually formed a better business model, especially the business format of homestays and inns, and have put forward rent increase requirements and do not play cards according to the contract, forcing many operators to be unable to operate or be maliciously increased in price.

Individual villagers in the village are simple, and group villagers may compare with each other. Confucius said, "Do not suffer from the few, but suffer from inequality." This is especially true for rural villagers, where it is difficult to level a bowl of water, which will plant a time bomb for homestay operators.

If the rent next to me is high, my rent will rise, and my house will be renovated if it is beautiful, which is a huge pressure on the investors and operators of the country house.

In ethnic areas, there are also problems of ethnic contradictions and differences in belief. For example, a hotel group opened a country house in the Kham area of the Tibetan people, and its original intention was "a bridge of national unity and a link for the development of the western region". They are very well connected, but they are still cautious when it comes to cooperation.

The hotel believes that other investors in Tibetan areas have no way to compete with the Songtsam Group. Because Mr. Baima, the founder of the Songtsam Group, is well versed in Tibetan culture, he said: "Cultural differences and identity are Songtsam's greatest strengths. ”

03

Neighborhoods

The relationship between the owner of the country house and the villagers, neighbors and local officials at all levels is the most critical. If there is a big problem in every link, it will lead to the loss of the previous achievements.

Before leasing a property, especially farmhouse land, take as much time as possible to understand the choice of the owner, and by visiting the villagers in the neighborhood, find out the credit before signing the contract, and must not sign in a hurry.

Because as investors from cities to villages, they generally require rural administrative departments to be fair and just, honest and creditworthy, and act equally.

However, some local villagers feel that you are a big boss from the city, and you should either help the poor or give in politely, in short, some people in the village regard the investors in the city as "big fat meat". Therefore, handling various relationships such as rural neighborhood relations is the basis for the long-term operation of country houses.

04

infrastructure

At present, the rural infrastructure has not yet met the requirements of accepting high-level projects in a short period of time, such as transportation, logistics, network, etc., nor can it meet the service and speed requirements of Internet projects.

Some homestays are overly pursuing feelings, amplifying stories and legends, resulting in a lack of necessary supporting facilities, comfort and lack of security. For example, when the weather suddenly warms up in the countryside in summer, the original charge load of the homestay is not enough to bear, resulting in frequent power and water outages, which makes the customer experience extremely poor.

Another example is that the drainage system of some lakeside guesthouses or inns is not in place, resulting in sewage being discharged into the lake, polluting the lake water and damaging the natural environment.

05

The pit of feelings

Don't sell feelings as products and ignore the essence of the product. The author has contacted many people who open homestays, and they all miss the feeling of being in their hometown when they were children, and they all like to have a house arranged according to their preferences in a clean tourist place.

What if there is no market on the market? Open it yourself, such a beautiful thing, after the opening, all kinds of similar people still come in droves?

Things that seem reasonable will not be known until the operation stage, and feelings and reality are separated by 108,000 miles.

06

Design and build

Too many country houses are built by home improvement design and construction units, and investors who do not understand this line of work can only wait to be pitted.

It should be said that the building renovation, interior decoration and outdoor landscape gardens of homestays are very expensive, and because most of them are non-standardized construction, and rural areas are relatively remote, the transportation cost of transporting materials is very high, and the labor cost of inviting from the city to the countryside is also very high.

Therefore, you will find that a homestay looks like it has done nothing, but it has already spent tens of thousands. Indeed, because it is difficult for homestays to have a clear process and transparent materials like real estate development, people who do not know how to do it will definitely spend a lot of money.

07

The cost is too high

Instability of customer sources, seasonal influences, low frequency, low occupancy rate, off-peak season is obviously a problem that can not be solved, now the peak season in the general countryside is only 4 months, the peak season and off-season average, the average annual occupancy rate of most villages will not exceed 40%, so this is unlikely to bring high returns.

On the other hand, the occupancy rate of country houses is low, it is heavy investment, the homogenization is serious, the services and products are too weak, the unit price is too low, and the labor cost is very high. The low premium rate due to low property costs is not enough to support the operation of the project, especially the operation with a good experience.

In the long run, only early adopters may opt for resorts that place an increasing emphasis on personalization on weekends.

08

Capital traps

People who do homestays should not take money easily, especially the money of investors who do not understand homestays. A homestay has been operating with capital since the location is selected, especially a group of laymen who feel that they can subvert any industry through capital.

If you do, there is a 90% chance that you will lose all your money. In addition, some operators with a homestay background do not use the entrepreneurial mentality to do homestays, but the thinking of professional managers who work part-time, and it is easy to kill homestays.

Only those who really want to do homestays, infect and unite people who really love homestays through their own enthusiasm, and regard homestays as a joy of life, away from those teams that only rely on capital operation to make money, can make homestays successful.

09

Blindly follow the trend

Now there are so many villages that want to introduce homestays, but there are not many villages that are really suitable for opening homestays (it is feasible to meet the aforementioned "timing, location, people" and "people").

If you just blindly choose or are attracted by the other party's request, the probability of success is very small.

Some people who want to do homestays do not understand themselves and follow others, and later find that many problems such as the demolition and relocation of rural houses have not been solved, and they drag on for months or even longer, wasting a lot of time.

For those who do not have the expertise and do not take the initiative to learn about the rural situation, opportunities can also become traps.

10

Not grounded

Rural Internet entrepreneurship is one of the components of the state's encouragement of mass entrepreneurship. However, it is still too early to start a business in the direction of rural Internet projects.

Mass entrepreneurship in first- and second-tier cities is somewhat overheated, and many entrepreneurs are also opening up new markets and looking for new opportunities, but China's rural development is far from reaching the stage where the technology of first- and second-tier cities can be directly transformed, and the docking in the middle is several levels worse, which is not grounded.

The Qinggan-Gan Great Ring Road, spanning 3,000 kilometers of clouds and rain

 An epidemic in 2020 changed many people's travel plans. The trip to Europe prepared at the beginning of the year was cancelled, the time of vacation was adjusted from May to July, and the epidemic situation in the country stabilized, so where to go this year? I am a very lazy person, already so tired from work, when I am on vacation, I always want to find a relaxing island to eat, drink and lie down. The desert, the Gobi and the no-man's land, places that seemed never considered in previous plans. The travel plans changed again and again, and when the Northwest Qinggan-Gan Grand Circle was finally decided, I probably didn't think of it myself. Along the way, we climbed the Gobi and climbed the mountains, rode camels over the sand, passed the sea of flowers and fell into the lake, and saw prayer flags and made wishes. The journey of 3,000 kilometers, all the way to the dust, all the way to the scenery, is a completely different experience from the vacation, really fragrant. Therefore, we do not have to lock ourselves to inherent destination preferences, bravely try a different journey, and we can have a different experience.

The Qinggan-Gansu Ring Road covers more than 3,000 kilometers and spans Qinghai and Gansu provinces, making it the most classic loop route in Northwest China. The itinerary starts from Xining and returns to Xining after a seven-day drive, passing through various landforms such as salt lakes, Gobi, deserts, Danxia, Yadan, and grasslands, and the scenery is very rich. This route is about 4-6 hours a day, the altitude is about 3000 meters, considering that the daily driving time is not short, and we are not familiar with the route, we gave up self-driving and chose to charter, so overall it is not particularly hard.

Specific itinerary

DAY1: Xiamen – Xining

DAY2: Xining: Xiguan Halal Temple, Nanguan Halal Temple, Mojia Street

DAY3 (Loop Day 1): Xining - Riyue Mountain - Chuanxi River - Qinghai Lake - Heima River - Chaka Salt Lake, Chaka accommodation (360 km, 4.5 hours by car)　　

DAY4 (Loop Day 2): Chaka - Crossing the Qaidam Basin - Dachaidan Emerald Salt Lake, Dachaidan Accommodation (500 km, 6 hours by car)

DAY5 (Loop Day 3): Dachaidan - Qaidam Basin - Crossing the basin to the northwest "Highway 66" - South Baxian Yadan Devil City - White Gobi - Axai Town (Nine-story Demon Pagoda Shooting Base) - Dunhuang - Watch the indoor drama "See Dunhuang Again" at night, Dunhuang accommodation (500 km, 6 hours by car)

DAY6 (Loop Day 4): Dunhuang - Mogao Grottoes - Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring, Dunhuang Accommodation (50 km on the day)

DAY7 (Loop Day 5): Dunhuang - Jiayuguan - Zhangye Colorful Danxia Geopark, Zhangye Accommodation in Colorful Town (580 km, 6.5 hours by car)

DAY8 (Circle Day 6): Zhangye - Biandukou Scenic Area - National Highway 227 - Qilian Mountains - Qilian Grassland - Qilian Zall Mountain, Qilian County accommodation (240 km, 3 hours by car)

DAY9 (Loop Day 7): Qilian Departure - Aror Temple - Menyuan Rape Flower Sea - Dabanshan - Heiquan Reservoir - Xining , Xining Accommodation. (280 km, 4 hours by car)

DAY10: Xining : Xining Tibetan Plateau Safari Park, Tangdao 637, Geometry Bookstore

DAY11: Xining — Xiamen

In the seven-day Grand Circle Route, the more arduous ones are the second, third and fifth days, the journey is relatively far, but because the sunset time in the northwest is very late, it will basically get dark at nine o'clock in summer, so the journey is not very rushed, and the time is relatively abundant. The highest altitude is the first and second day of the trip, the highest is about 3800 meters, after getting used to it will be much better.

Some considerations for the Great Loop

1. Northwest The best time to travel is from June to September in summer, especially July to August is the peak season, and accommodation tickets must be booked in advance.

2, the highest position is the tea card and the big chaidan two days before the ring line, about 3500 meters, prone to slight high reaction, such as headache, etc., pay attention to the bath water before going to bed can not be too hot, plateau areas do not exercise vigorously, walk slower. Generally, the first night of sleep will be fine.

3. There are days on the big ring line that are relatively far away, and lunch is not easy to find, and it is often solved at the highway rest stop. It is recommended to buy some materials for the Great Ring Road in Xining, buy some easy-to-eat foods, such as milk, fruits, instant noodles, eight treasure porridge, juice, self-heating rice, bread, etc., but don't buy too much, just buy some on demand.

4. You need to bring your ID card throughout the process, whether it is scenic spots, highway checkpoint registration stations, or even self-driving refueling.

5. Try to go to the toilet in the scenic area, do not drink too much water on the road, the toilets along the road are dry toilets, and the environment is relatively poor. Some mountain roads are tens of kilometers without toilets.

6. Northwest cuisine has a heavy taste, and ordering should account for less oil, less salt and less spicy.

7. Qinghai Lake, Chaka, Emerald Lake, and Qilian all belong to high altitude and low temperature, while Dunhuang is particularly hot, so clothes need to be prepared all year round. In the Qinghai region, it is enough to wear ordinary spring and autumn clothes during the day in July and August, and you need to add a jacket in the mountainous areas at high altitudes, and if it rains and it will be particularly cold, you should also carry a storm jacket or down jacket. Gansu, on the other hand, is noticeably hotter and requires summer clothing and sunscreen clothing.

This trip is a great northwest that has never been seen before, and it is also a great northwest that breaks the stereotype. There are cool desolate Gobi, desert yellow sand, beautiful plateau salt lakes, thousands of miles of flowers, and grasslands and mountains that can be galloped at will, that kind of vastness and vastness, if not personal experience, is from the coastal town we can hardly imagine and experience. How vast the world is, and how small we are, see you on the next journey.