Hukou's tourism boom spurs local economy
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Located in Yichuan County in Shaanxi Province, Hukou Waterfalls, or Kettle Spout Falls, was established as a national 4A-class scenic spot earlier this year. The magnificent waterfall attracts thousands of visitors while bringing tremendous profits to the local people. Our reporter Wang Wenwen was there and filed this report.
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With haze blurring Pagoda Hill in the background, traffic crosses a bridge in downtown Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com] |
Hukou Waterfalls is the Yellow River's only waterfall and the second biggest waterfall in China. The tremendous mass of water strikes the rocks, creating piles of foam and a thundering sound. The riverbed here gets its name because it is like an enormous teapot absorbing all the rushing water.
As a notable scenic spot in Shaanxi Province, Hukou Waterfalls was listed as a National Key Scenic Spot in 1988 and now is graded as a 4A spot. Since 1994, Hukou Waterfalls Month has been held annually, during which time stuntmen Ke Shouliang and Zhu Zhaohui have wowed audiences by driving a car and motorbike respectively across the Yellow River. Since then, Hukou scenic spot has enjoyed the attention of tourists. According to Zhang Hongsheng, director of the Tourism Bureau of Yichuan County, Hukou Waterfalls has great significance to the Chinese people.
"The Hukou Waterfalls of the Yellow River is a symbol of the Chinese People and has a deep cultural meaning. As people's lives have improved a lot and the transportation here has become more convenient, many people choose this place as their tour destination."
In recent years, the tourism boom at Hukou Waterfalls has helped develop the local economy healthily and smoothly. So far this year, millions of tourists have visited the waterfalls, creating ticket revenues totaling 20 million yuan, or 2.9 million US dollars. Many locals now look to do business here, opening souvenir stands or offering donkey rides for five yuan each. During peak seasons, these hawkers can earn as much as 3,000 yuan, or 439 US dollars, monthly. Sixty-year-old Bai Zhifeng is one of them.
"Every day I'm here to do this business and I've been here for two years. People feel riding a donkey is something novel and fun to do. Luckily, this year has seen a larger number of tourists so I can earn more money."
Director Zhang Hongsheng says that the tourism boom at Hukou Waterfalls not only benefits the people living there, but also spurs the nearby economy.
"Tourism in Hukou has huge potential for promoting the local economy. For example, the emergence of countryside tourism near Hukou has provided jobs to 500 people directly, and to nearly 5,000 people indirectly. This is a way of increasing local farmers' income and offering an alternative way to earn a living, aside from farming, and encourages them to seek profitable means to earn more money."
Countryside tourism is increasingly popular with urban Chinese who want to visit the scenic countryside, stay at a farmer's house and eat local homemade food as a way to relax and escape the city on the weekends.
Zhang Hongsheng says a highway leading to Hukou from Xi'an, capital city of Shaanxi Province, is under construction, which will make it easier for people to visit the waterfall and is expected to bring another tourism boom.
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