In eastern Zhejiang, immortality beckons

It has received nearly a million visitors from Jan 1 to May 25 this year, with total revenue hitting over 170 million yuan ($24 million), more than triple the figures of the same period in 2019, said Chen Haoze, deputy general manager of the Shenxianju Tourism Group, which manages the area.

"Over the past few years, we have installed cable cars and escalators so that tourists, especially the young and the elderly, can have a better experience."

Meanwhile, sustainable tourism is always the top priority, he said, as some 50 million yuan is invested each year for the protection and maintenance of the environment in the area.

Booming tourism has also helped nearby residents. In Xiaye village, which sits in the foothills of the Shenxianju mountains to the west, almost every household is connected to some form of tourist business. Xiaye currently has 120 homestays, seven of which have won recognition from the French Development Agency.