According to the data center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in the first quarter of 2026, the total number of rural tourism visitors in China was 793 million, a year-on-year increase of 12.2%; The total revenue of rural tourism reception in China was 457 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.9%. The impressive data confirms that the rural tourism industry has reached a new level. What is the industrial development code behind this? The reporter recently went to various places for interviews to explore the answers. Focusing on the "small and beautiful" cultural and tourism industry, creating a unique rural tourism development path - Shanxi Daxian Ancient Village is a historic ancient village that grows on a huge mountain rock. Dozens of courtyards are arranged in a staggered manner from bottom to top, with up to a dozen floors. From a distance, they look like building blocks hanging halfway up the mountain. During the May Day holiday, Lin Yue, a freelance photographer born in the 1990s from Shanghai, carried her camera and shuttled through the layers of stone houses. Whether it was the morning sunlight shining on the mottled stone walls or the wispy smoke rising from the village at dusk, they all became highly storytelling scenes in her lens. She said, "I posted photos of the Nine Palace Grid on social media, and the scenery here is so beautiful that it's hard to speak of." Not only the ancient village of Daxiang, but also the ancient town of Qikou in Shanxi Province has attracted many tourists. During this year's May Day holiday, the number of tourists reached 112700, an increase of 105% year-on-year. Looking at the whole country, there are endless "small and beautiful" cultural and tourism formats. The ancient town of Shaxi in Yunnan Province has fully preserved the ancient stage, Yujin Bridge, and traditional villages along the Tea Horse Ancient Road. The lively "street market" on Fridays continues the simple local market style; Wuchui District, Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province, relies on the ecological and cultural resources of Xiaoxing'an Mountains to create an immersive cultural and tourism experience. Tourists can participate in study tours, learn woodworking techniques, experience the beauty of ecology among green mountains and rivers, and taste specialty foods such as iron pot stew; Songyang, Lishui, Zhejiang Province, retains hundreds of traditional villages with complete patterns, and transforms old houses into boutique homestays, rural bookstores, and artist studios... The No. 1 central document in 2026 proposes to deepen the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism, promote the upgrading of rural tourism, and develop a "small and beautiful" cultural and tourism industry. This has clarified the direction and path for the development of rural tourism in the new era. In the future, we will continue to focus on 'small and beautiful'. ”Hao Dashan, Deputy Director of Shanxi Qikou Scenic Area Management Center, said that we will create characteristic homestays along the Yellow River with rural fireworks as the theme, develop water eroded relief landscapes, establish new rural markets, and attract tourists to play by the Yellow River and live in characteristic jujube courtyards. From "check-in" to "immersion", the consumption chain of rural tourism continues to expand - listening to Sanskrit music at Donghua Temple in the morning, visiting art galleries to see paintings, enjoying tea and picking fruits in Orchid Garden in the afternoon, and soaking in hot springs at night... A complete life experience field allows tourists who come to Wengyuan, Guangdong to experience the pastoral time of Lingnan, from "passing by" to "stopping", from "check-in" to "staying down". Xu Ting, Director of the Culture, Radio, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Wengyuan County, Guangdong Province, said that from January to April this year, the cumulative estimated number of tourists in Wengyuan County was about 622000, a year-on-year increase of 18.25%, and the tourism revenue was about 670 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 21.82%. Not just Weng Yuan. In the first year of the 15th Five Year Plan, many regions will dig deep into their unique resources and tailor their efforts to the needs of rural tourism. In the dim morning light, the small village of Jimsar County in Xinjiang, deep in the Tianshan Mountains, is like a painting of mountains and waters. The former sheep pens and cowsheds have been transformed into art spaces, attracting artists to come here and record this scenery. Nowadays, more and more art practitioners come here, and there are more than 30 studios established in various fields such as painting, sculpture, pottery, etc. Art resources have driven rural tourism, and with government support, rural tourism and homestays have been developed in villages. The homestay opened by villager Qi Jirong displays many works gifted by artists, becoming a highlight that attracts tourists. From the misty and rainy Jiangnan to the colorful Southwest, from the passionate Dong villages to the plateau Tibetan villages, the "cultural tourism+" continues to release driving effects, reshape the rural landscape, and empower rural development. Zhang Yan, a specially appointed researcher at the Shaanxi Provincial Federation of Social Sciences and director of the Cultural and Tourism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that people are no longer satisfied with "eating a farmhouse meal or picking baskets of local specialties", but are willing to pay higher prices for an afternoon tea in a rice field, an intangible cultural heritage handicraft experience, or a night's accommodation with a window view of the mountains. The accelerated rise of new formats centered on experience has become an active force driving the growth of rural tourism consumption. Science and technology enable, culture infiltrate, rural tourism improve quality and efficiency, and make a leap to a higher level - the Archaeological Science Experience Museum in Yin Xu in Anyang Yinxu Archaeological Cultural Tourism Town, Henan Province. With the help of naked 3D technology, Tunnan oracle bones, kneeling jade figures, Yachang Niuzun and other precious cultural relics have come alive. Immersive experience and learning of archaeological knowledge through interaction is so interesting. It has both technological style and cultural flavor. ”Xiao Diya, a student from Anyang No.4 Middle School, said. Empowered by technology, it unleashes vibrant vitality. Jiangxi Ji'an Diaoyuan Ancient Village has innovatively launched the "One Code Tour" smart cultural and tourism platform, creating an exclusive intelligent digital tour guide. Tourists only need to take out their mobile phones and chat with digital people to obtain vivid explanations about ancient village architecture and historical allusions. Showcasing unique value through cultural immersion. The ancient town of Luzhi in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, delves into the legend of the local "Luduan" mythical beast and turns it into a core IP that runs through the scenic area's identity, immersive stage plays, and cultural and creative products. When the digital wisdom is deeply embedded in the rural texture, and when the rich local culture truly enters the hearts of tourists, rural tourism will usher in a diverse bloom of "one village, one charm, beautiful and shared", helping to paint a beautiful picture of comprehensive rural revitalization. (Looking into the New Era)