When Xixinan village in China first went viral in 2023, its fairy-tale greenery drew crowds of visitors and sparked an unexpected tourism boom. But the surge in popularity also raised pressing questions: how could the village generate revenue without charging an entrance fee, and how could it share the benefits with neighboring villages rather than compete with them? The answers, according to a new episode of People's Daily's video series Decoding Rural China's Governance, lie in a novel six-village tourism network that is turning online attention into a shared opportunity for rural development.
The episode, titled One Green Haven, Six Linked Villages, explores how Xixinan and five nearby villages have joined forces to create a comprehensive travel experience. Rather than vying for the same visitors, the villages have adopted a cluster development approach, developing complementary attractions such as bamboo raft rides, a sightseeing train, homestays, and nighttime fish-lantern tours. By connecting these experiences into a single travel route, the network encourages tourists to stay longer and spend more time in the area, allowing more local businesses to benefit from the growing traffic.
Central to this cooperation is a revenue-sharing model that ensures the economic gains are distributed fairly. Under the mechanism, 70 percent of revenue goes to the village where a business operates, 20 percent is distributed according to the original equity ratio—with Xixinan village taking 5 percent and the other five villages taking 3 percent each—and 10 percent is retained by the town's operating company as working capital. This structure allows each village to benefit from shared tourism resources while still encouraging the development of distinctive local businesses.
The impact has been significant. More than 70 percent of residents in the town now work in tourism, and in 2025, each village generated more than 1 million yuan (about $140,000) in revenue. This success demonstrates how a shared-interest mechanism can turn visitor traffic into broader rural development, ensuring that the benefits of tourism are spread across the entire community.
The video series, which explores grassroots governance and rural development across China, follows the journey from Xixinan's viral rise to the broader transformation of the six villages. It highlights how natural scenery, connected tourism routes, and a collaborative revenue model can work together to foster shared prosperity. As reported by Media OutReach Newswire, the model offers a glimpse of how rural communities in China are exploring new ways to share opportunities and drive sustainable growth.
For readers interested in rural development, tourism management, or community governance, this case study provides a compelling example of how cooperation can amplify economic benefits. By pooling resources and sharing revenues, the six villages have not only extended the life of their tourism boom but also created a resilient framework that could serve as a blueprint for other regions facing similar challenges. The approach underscores the potential of collective action in turning fleeting online fame into lasting local prosperity.
