Zhifang Village, Wennan Town

Zhifang Village, Wennan Town

Zhifang Village, Wennan Town is located south of Wennan Town at the foot of Da Hai Mountain. It has 310 households and 844 residents, with 500 mu of arable land and 4,000 mu of forested mountain area. In recent years, Zhifang Village has set the goal of creating a “tourism-oriented village characterized by flowers in three seasons, fruits in four seasons, strong village economy, prosperous people, and harmonious living.” It has carried out four major projects—road construction, electrification, water supply improvement, and dam reinforcement—and developed four major zones: a 1,000-mu walnut orchard, a 1,000-mu mixed fruit garden, a 100-mu special breeding park, and a 100-mu leisure and gourmet park. These initiatives have accelerated the process of enriching both the village and its residents. As a result, the village collective’s annual income has exceeded 1 million yuan, and the per capita annual income of villagers has surpassed 20,000 yuan.

I. Implementing Four Major Projects to Lay the Foundation for Tourism Development

First is road construction. With the goal of ensuring road access to every mountain, valley, and route, the village plans to invest 800,000 yuan to build 10.5 kilometers of new production and tourism roads in the mountains, pave over 30,000 square meters of road surface, and excavate 6,000 cubic meters of earth and stone. Second is electrification. Bringing electricity up the mountain is seen as a foundational project for developing fruit growing and tourism. The plan is to invest 500,000 yuan to construct one new transformer substation, install one set of 100-kVA transformers, and erect 3 kilometers of high-voltage lines, achieving the goal of electricity extending as high, long, and far as the mountains. Third is water supply. The village is vigorously implementing comprehensive management of the Da Hai Mountain small watershed. With an investment of 3.8 million yuan, it continues to build ponds and check dams in four valleys, constructing 20 structures to retain 80,000 cubic meters of water. At the mountaintop, four 100-cubic-meter reservoirs will be built, along with one secondary pumping station, six sets of wind-powered water pumps, and 30 rainwater collection pits. These measures will make rational use of rainwater, groundwater, spring water, and pond water. Ten thousand meters of water pipelines will be laid in the mountains to implement water-saving gravity irrigation, increasing irrigated area by 1,200 mu. Fourth is dam reinforcement. With an investment of 3.2 million yuan, embankment and slope protection projects will be carried out on newly built ponds to prevent soil erosion. The landscape along the main river in the village will also be upgraded, including building one 60-meter-long overflow dam bridge, 3,000 meters of riverbank reinforcement, 80 fishing platforms, and 3,000 meters of scenic belt.

II. Building Four Major Zones to Paint a Beautiful Blueprint

Zhifang Village makes full use of its natural resource advantages to develop eco-tourism, turning Da Hai Mountain into a mountain of flowers and fruit and a leisure resort. To this end, the village has invited experts and scholars to conduct scientific evaluations of the eco-tourism development potential of Da Hai Mountain and produced a feasibility study report. It has been confirmed that the region’s geological strata are of world-standard and were once designated as a base for global geological research and training. As early as the 1970s, international geological survey teams visited the site and identified it as dating back to the Cambrian period, formed 500 million years ago, with significant development value and potential. The village’s two committees decided to lead the project collectively, mobilizing the strength of the entire village to develop eco-tourism on Da Hai Mountain. Through layered, contour-based, three-dimensional development, they are promoting a mountain development model featuring forests at the mountaintop, fruit trees midway down the slopes, and fields at the base. This creates an ecological landscape described as “pine and cypress crowning the mountaintop, fruit trees draping the mountainsides, streams winding at the foot, red flowers and green trees blanketing the foothills, and fragrant Chinese toon and pepper trees lining the edges.” The village is committed to developing eco-tourism, leisure and gourmet tourism, fruit-picking experiences, and fishing and recreational activities, transforming Da Hai Mountain into a mountain of flowers and fruit, a summer retreat, a leisure destination, and a sightseeing spot.

First is the development of a 1,000-mu walnut orchard. A detailed industrial development plan has been formulated, with an investment of 1.3 million yuan to establish a 1,300-mu walnut industry park. Three years later, the village collective will invest in setting up a walnut product processing enterprise and establish a walnut cooperative to provide integrated production, supply, and marketing services, creating jobs for 60 surplus laborers. Second is the launch of a 1,000-mu mixed fruit garden. Given the prevalence of hilly and sloping land, an investment of 4 million yuan will be used to implement slope-to-terrace conversion projects. Leveraging the natural pastoral scenery of the mountain resort, the village plans to develop leisure, sightseeing, and fruit-picking gardens as well as agritainment offerings. Over 30 new varieties have been introduced, and more than 100,000 grafted saplings cultivated, resulting in a 1,000-mu mixed fruit picking garden featuring cherries, apricots, peaches, pears, and apples, expected to generate nearly 3 million yuan in additional annual income. Third is expanding the special breeding park. With an investment of 4 million yuan, riverside leisure fishing and tourism areas will be built on both sides of the bridge over Da Hai Mountain. South of the office building, 80 softshell turtle farming pools will be constructed, and a 100-mu special breeding park developed. Scenic spots such as Golden Duck Nest and Dragon King Temple will be gradually developed, along with resorts and other facilities, aiming to create a natural ecological park integrating sightseeing and leisure vacation. This ensures diversified and multi-tiered income growth for both the village collective and residents. In 2014, the village collective income is projected to exceed 1 million yuan. Fourth is the construction of a leisure and gourmet park. Increased investment will improve facilities. With 2.6 million yuan invested, agritainment options will be expanded and a 200-mu leisure and gourmet park developed to attract more tourists. During major holidays such as Labor Day and National Day, activities such as visiting farmsteads, picking fruit, dining on farmhouse meals, and staying in rural homes will be organized to boost villagers’ incomes. Currently, on the mountain, three 3-mu experimental special breeding bases have been established, focusing on large-scale farming of wild softshell turtles. After a three-year farming cycle, the village collective can expect an additional annual income of over 1 million yuan. The 1,300-mu walnut orchard is expected to generate over 3 million yuan in additional income during its peak fruiting years. Down the mountain, a three-story cultural activity center has been built, along with a leisure and fitness plaza, a millennium-old persimmon tree garden, an ornamental fish pond, and preservation efforts for ancient village ruins. Additionally, scenic spots such as Golden Duck Nest and Dragon King Temple are being developed, along with resorts, gourmet parks, and more, to create a natural ecological park integrating sightseeing and leisure vacation. This ensures diversified and multi-tiered income growth for both the village collective and residents. In 2012, the village’s collective operating income reached 220,000 yuan; in 2014, the village collective income is expected to surpass 1 million yuan.

Address: At the southern foot of Da Hai Mountain, Wennan Town, Xintai City, Tai’an

Business Hours: 24 hours

Visiting Time: Approximately 2 hours

Featured Attractions: 1,000-mu walnut orchard, 1,000-mu mixed fruit garden, 100-mu special breeding park, 100-mu leisure and gourmet park, millennium-old persimmon tree garden, ornamental fish pond, ancient village ruins, Golden Duck Nest, Dragon King Temple, resort, gourmet park, -.

Supporting Facilities:

The village offers agritainment services where visitors can dine and rest.