Lijiazhuang village transforms idle farmhouses into tourism hub

Once a little-known settlement, Lijiazhuang village in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, has been reborn as a thriving rural tourism destination.

The village served as a key venue in 1948 for discussions between the Communist Party of China and prominent democratic figures on the founding of the People's Republic of China. Today, it preserves this revolutionary legacy through restored historical sites.

Liu Lining, village Party branch secretary, said the village has renovated its idle farmhouses for red tourism development. Over 40 of the village's 85 households now work in the homestay and catering industry, generating an average of about 60,000 yuan ($8,879) per household annually. In 2025, total village output reached 4.2 million yuan.

Han Huiru, a resident who opened a homestay in 2016, has eight guest rooms. She now earns over 100,000 yuan annually, with tourists from Shijiazhuang, Beijing, and Tianjin flocking to enjoy farmhouse meals and reservoir fish during peak holidays.

"I used to farm. Now life is much better," said Han.