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as the car exited the expressway toll booth in lujiang, it seemed to dive straight into the vast wilderness. continuous mountains and winding roads stretched as far as the eye could see under a thick canopy of green! in the sweltering heat of june, the scorching sun enveloped the earth, turning the wild countryside into a haven for the soul. in anhui, a group of once impoverished mountain villages have transformed into well-known "tourist villages" thanks to homestays. at 8:30 in the morning, shen yong, the manager of one such rural homestay, was seen wearing an apron and preparing breakfast for guests. "corn, eggs, with mixed vegetables from our own garden," said shen yong cheerfully. "we've taken over seven villagers' idle farmhouses, revitalizing them for use; upstairs are guest rooms, while downstairs is where the villagers live. this setup allows tourists to interact with the villagers." shen yong mentioned that since the homestay opened in february this year, it has been fully booked during holidays, requiring reservations days in advance. 
in recent years, lujiang county has leveraged its beautiful mountains and waters to innovatively develop the "farmhouse economy," guiding villagers to transform idle farmhouses into family homestays. this initiative attracts families from the hefei metropolitan area and the yangtze river delta region to lujiang for wellness living, leisure, and vacation, which has now become a key driver of economic growth. 
in recent years, the homestay industry in anhui province has flourished, becoming a new frontier for tourism consumption, a new engine for rural economy, and a new vehicle for cultural heritage development. localities have explored development models such as "homestay scenic area" and "homestay countryside," driving the linked development of various industries including entertainment and resort retirement, forming clusters of homestays in yixian county, xiuning, qingyang, lujiang, among others across the province. 
according to preliminary statistics, there are over 8,000 homestays in the province. in 2023, 100 key homestay units monitored throughout anhui province received a total of 678,000 visitors, generating revenue of 140 million yuan, with year-on-year increases of 42.8% and 42.9%, respectively.
source: anhuinews.com
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