Meanwhile, Zhangjiajie in Hunan province continues to attract growing numbers of overseas visitors through its combination of dramatic mountain scenery, rural tourism and outdoor adventure experiences, standing as a flagship destination of China’s inbound rural travel.
The booming popularity of Zhangjiajie also mirrors the nationwide trend that foreign tourists are increasingly favoring smaller, characteristic countryside destinations across China.
Earlier this year, numerous overseas vloggers traveled deep into villages around Zhangjiajie to record authentic local life. Some international creators even accidentally joined local folk gatherings and were warmly welcomed by villagers, who treated them to homemade food and guided them to explore mountain villages.
These travel videos featuring Zhangjiajie’s countryside spread widely online, with many foreign viewers saying they completely changed their old stereotypes about rural China.
Challenges remain for Zhangjiajie and similar mountain destinations. While China's physical infrastructure ranks among the world's most advanced, many scenic areas in Zhangjiajie still lag in multilingual services, international payment compatibility and foreign-language travel information, Xiao added.
But for overseas visitors coming to Zhangjiajie, those minor inconveniences are outweighed by the unique natural landscapes and genuine local culture here.
“Big cities show you China’s modern scale,” many foreign tourists commented. “But Zhangjiajie’s mountains and villages show you China’s profound natural and cultural depth.”
