A homestay in Xiaozhi town, Linhai, a county-level city in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]

Xiaozhi town in Taizhou was recently listed among the most beautiful towns in China, becoming the first place in Zhejiang to win the honor.

The town situated in the county-level city of Linhai has in recent years achieved prosperity by selling finely ground corn or flour and weaving straw hats.

Tongzhi Straw Hat, which is named after a place in the town, was registered as a trademark shared by the public. In 2022, more than 1.7 million straw hats were purchased from local residents at a price of between 15-20 yuan ($2.19 to $2.92) apiece.

Apart from the handicraft industry, authorities have been leveraging local culture and heritages to develop tourism.

Xiaozhi currently has 16 homestays, including one that is listed among the top 50 homestays in the nation.

A new campsite in the town welcomed more than 20,000 visitors during its month-long trial run, which raked in over 200,000 yuan in revenue.

A campsite in Xiaozhi town , Linhai, a county-level city in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]