Seven villages in China have been honoured as ‘Best Tourism Villages’ by the World Tourism Organisation in this year’s selection.

This was announced at a Friday UN Tourism meeting held in Cartagena, Colombia, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said.

The new additions bring the total number of Chinese villages recognised as ‘Best Tourism Villages’ to 15, making China the country with the highest number of villages holding this title.

The villages are Azheke in Yunnan, Guanyang in Fujian, Shibadong in Hunan, and Taoping in Sichuan. Others are Xiaogang in Anhui, Xitou Village in Zhejiang and Yandunjiao in Shandong.

Spanning the country’s eastern, central, and western regions, the villages are highly representative in terms of geography, culture, and development models.

For example, Yunnan’s Azheke, nestled in the heart of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has embraced a unique approach to tourism development.

Villagers have contributed resources such as terraces, houses, and traditional ways of life, creating a model of collective participation and shared prosperity.

To promote rural tourism, UN Tourism launched the ‘Best Tourism Villages’ project in 2021 to recognise villages across the world that are leading the way in nurturing rural areas and cultural diversity.

(Xinhua/NAN)