A view of Chengli village, Taozhu town, Linhai, a county-level city in Taizhou. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]

Two villages - Chengli village and Xiaye village – from Taizhou were recently honored as provincial models for integrating the development of their protected natural areas.

Chengli village

Chengli village used to be a sea gateway to Taizhou in ancient times as it is located at the intersection of Taizhou Bay and Sanmen Bay.

The village in Taozhu town, Linhai, a county-level city in Taizhou covers an area of 1.5 square kilometers and has an afforestation rate of 88 percent. It has 32 trees that are more than a decade old and is home to the Taozhu National Scenic Area.

Xiaye village

Xiaye village has achieved robust development in its tourism industry by leveraging its proximity to the Shenxianju Scenic Spot and Xianju National Park.

The village in Danzhu township, Xianju county has emerged as a popular destination for agritainment.

Xiaye currently has 106 homestays, seven of which have won recognition from the French Development Agency.

In 2021, the village welcomed more than 400,000 tourists, and the per capita disposable income of local residents climbed to 21,026 yuan ($3,003), official data show.