Tourists are returning to Jiu'an to enjoy rural cuisine and nature as the novel coronavirus outbreak wanes.

The township in Huaxi district in Guiyang, capital of southwestern China's Guizhou province, has transformed from a coal-mining community into a popular getaway destination.

Resident Wu Shigang's phone has been busy with calls from customers making lunch and dinner reservations since the May Day holiday from May 1 to 5.

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Wu enjoyed brisk business since he quit his mining job and started serving rural cuisine in 2015.

He says he's very happy that everything is returning to normal.

In 2010, the township shut down all the mines in Jiu'an to protect water and restore the environment. It then used its karst landscapes and ancient tea plantations to develop tourism.

Tea and tourism increased per capita income in Jiu'an by 2,500 yuan ($350) last year.

Wu has developed tea-based dishes that have won him over 800 regular customers, he says.

He also offers them experiences picking, processing and tasting tea.

Jiu'an is one of many areas that have benefited from Guiyang's green development.

The city has put ecological protection first and seeks to maximize economic and social benefits, says mayor Chen Yan, who's also a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress.

Last year, the city's "green economy" accounted for 45 percent of the regional gross domestic product, which reached 404 billion yuan, up 7.4 percent over the previous year.

"We've strengthened top-level designs and made systematic innovations," Chen says.

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