Dandong has begun plans to develop rural tourism, according to the city's tourism department on Aug 14. With the number of farmhouses for holiday tourism to exceed 1,000 by the end of 2012, more citizens can enjoy their holidays in rural areas.

Rural tourism has been an emerging tourism industry in recent years. In 2011, Dandong earned 6.6 billion yuan ($1.03 billion) in rural tourism revenue and received 19.5 percent of total tourists in Dandong. The development of rural tourism has created jobs for 26,000 peasants in the city and helped raise 4,600 peasants out of poverty.

Based on the plans, Dandong will develop natural resources and cultural resources for rural tourism in the second half of this year. The city will also focus on supporting farmhouse-based tourist spots and improving its tourism management and services.

Edited by Zhao Qian and Michael Thai