Art town

The main tourist season in Shibanyan, including in the canyon area, lasts from April to October. The town is a 30-minute drive from downtown Linzhou one way and is at a comfortable distance from the provincial capital, Zhengzhou. Local authorities have come up with favorable policies to encourage rural homestay businesses in Henan over the years.

The grand canyon's popularity as a tourist spot has increased the overall number of visitors to Shibanyan, says Lu Hongwei, the town's Party secretary.

That has prompted many local residents to renovate their own courtyard houses in the villages as sketching sites and homestays. Now, the town has more than 300 homestays, but less than 10 percent offer services to guests who seek a sumptuous experience.

"This proportion is far from enough," Lu says, adding that more visitors now value quality services.

During the 2019 May Day holiday, more than 50,000 travelers flocked to the town, and the few upscale homestays that charged more than 1,000 yuan a night were all booked, Lu adds.

Data from Trip.com Group shows that many visitors to Shibanyan opt for homestays in neighboring cities and counties after failing to book at the limited number of hotels with good facilities in the town.

The resort that opened in cooperation with Trip.com Group was part of local authorities' efforts to retain travelers with money to spend.

Such venues will pave the way for more leisure activities in the area, including paragliding, Lu says.

Since the rural resort went into operation, many travelers have changed their original plans of just dropping by for sightseeing and prolonged their stay in the town to a few nights.

"We had a guest from the medical services who visited us again and said that he would return to take a two-day break in the mountain from time to time," Dai says.