As the pace of urbanization increases，China’s countrysidefalls further and further behind.In orderto completely transform the countryside’s laggedbehindcondition，the Chinese government formulated aplan for developing a new socialist countryside.A numberof towns took the lead nationwide in relying on industrialization，rural tourism and modern agriculture to improvethe lot of their residents.
Rural tourism is a newly developing sector in theindustry that takes advantage of a combinationof tourist resources，including agricultural operationalactivities，country life，farm scenery，country cultureand living environment in the countryside，and allowsinteraction between the city and the countryside.It isa model for a new type of leisure activity for people lookingfor a healthier lifestyle and interested in getting backto nature that involves a high degree of participation.
Development of rural tourism is mainly based on agriculture，the countryside and rural affairs，and gives touristsa real taste of work and life in the countryside.Thetours give visitors the opportunity to eat produce that isnative to the area，live in wooden houses with black tileroofs as the local residents do and enjoy themselves at a performance put on by the villagers.It is not only a one time tour，but also a learning experience that will enrichthe culture of tourists.The emergence of rural tourism isa part of the change in urban and rural consumer habits，a new economic growth area in the countryside，a wayto absorb more surplus rural labor，and a way to increaserural incomes and helps meet the demand for recreationalactivities among urban residents.
The first site for rural tourism in China is NongkeVillage in Pixian，Sichuan located 18 kilometers west ofChengdu.The first household that provided rural tourismservice is the Xu family estate.In 1987 all the familiesin Nongke Village planted flowers and grass to beautifytheir backyards，attracting many local visitors and visitorsfrom outside the province.The new residence ofvillager Xu Jiyuan was designated at that time by thegovernment as the reception point for visitors.This gaveYang Shoucheng，the then Party committee secretary whowas a fan of the countryside，the inspiration to make thevillage into the“Farm Family Park.”It was to be a parkfor visitors and a place of work for the local residents.Beginning with the Xu family estate as the first home toaccept visitors on tours of the village，Nongke Villageset out on a new path of developing countryside tourism.
This influenced the surrounding areas，which alsobegan developing countryside tourism，thereby attractinglarge numbers of city dwellers coming to enjoy the cleanpure environment of the countryside.The mushroomingsector of rural tourism began here with treks throughbamboo forests，walking across stone paths，crossingsmall bridges，viewing the grass and trees，and enjoyingcountry cuisine.The trees and flowers have beautified theenvironment and the improved environment helps boosttourism，which in turn promotes production.At the peakof its popularity in the 1990s，the rural tourism of NongkeVillage included 102 households and became a prime exampleof countryside tourism in the Chengdu area withits motto of“eat home-cooked country food，taste thefarm-fresh vegetables，stay in a country residence，experiencefarm work，enjoy rural pastimes and buy locallymade products.”
Future development plans call for the area of Nongke Villageto be expanded to 10 times its original size to nearly4，000 mu.Plans for the new Nongke Village include amaster plan for village’s makeover and a plan for distributionof production facilities and scenic sites.The 13 kilometercircular tourist route has already been widened，8.5 kilometers of water，electricity and sewage pipelineshave been laid and a 6.8-kilometer main scenic route fortourists has been fully landscaped and beautified.NongkeVillage is now working hard to become a civilized andharmonious place that is a prime example of the newsocialist countryside with a thriving economy，full rangeof functions，beautiful environment and excellent livingconditions.
