Tourism growth makes Heping a holiday hot spot

The government has also helped her with a dried seafood and bamboo shoots business, which has lifted her out of poverty.

Fu wore light makeup and was smiling.

"I wanted to look nice and my customers will be happier seeing me too," she says.

About 200 meters deeper into the town, in a modest wooden structure, Wei Zhihua was making cakes at her shop.

"We have seen daily sales more than double," Wei says. Her husband's family has been making the traditional cake, featuring sesame and peanuts, for seven generations.

The cakes are baked using hot charcoal placed on top of an iron pot cover.

Their business has enjoyed brisk sales over the last two years, thanks to the town's rapid tourism development.

On a good day, the family can easily sell over 1,000 cakes.

"In addition to major holidays, many tourists visit during weekends," Wei says.

The Heping government invested more than 100 million yuan ($14.8 million) in tourism development last year. It has built green parks, and renovated shops offering souvenirs, beverages and books.

And it appears to have paid off as the better infrastructure has helped to attract an ever-increasing number of travelers from afar to appreciate the town's ancient beauty.