About an hour's drive from the main venue of the International Horticultural Exhibition 2024 Chengdu, villages are reaping the benefits of the flourishing gardening industry and the rise in eco-tourism.
Since its completion in April 2022, the rose garden in Jiang'an Flower Village of Mianzhu township in Leshan, has attracted about 180,000 visitors.
"The daily maintenance, management and supporting services of the rose garden have not only brought employment opportunities to the surrounding residents and increased their incomes by a total of over 200,000 yuan ($28,170), but also turned the deserted land into an 'internet-famous' site," said Cheng Xiaoying, who is in charge of the garden's operation.
Cheng plans for the rose garden to become a research and learning base for nearby schools, where students can learn from Mother Nature directly through picking fruit and other activities.
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