Tourists enjoy a summer break in Gaoping township, Lishui. [Photo/Lishui Daily]

With the arrival of summer, Gaoping township in Suichang county – administered by Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – has become the top choice of many to escape the heat.

Since July, more than 500 tourists have visited Gaoping every week. In just three weeks, the combined income of the villagers has been boosted by more than 3 million yuan ($444,000).

Gaoping is 53 kilometers away from the county seat. The average altitude of the township is more than 800 meters and the forest coverage rate is up to 82.5 percent.

"It's too hot in the city in summer and Gaoping is cool and convenient. I come here every year to avoid the heat. This year, I will stay in Gaoping for a week as usual," said a tourist from Zhejiang's Jinhua city.

Gaoping town is surrounded by lush mountains. [Photo/Lishui Daily]

Early in the morning, Yang Jinbin, the owner of a homestay there, begins to prepare the day's meals for guests. The cool temperature in the mountain and the authentic farmhouse flavor has brought visitors to his farmhouse every day and he hopes to bring in an annual income of 100,000 yuan this year.

There are 249 households in Gaoping that make their main income from providing homestays and agritainment, like Yang. Last year, with their occupancy rates reaching more than 90 percent in summer, their total annual income topped 20 million yuan.

In addition, Gaoping provides tourists with fruit picking, horticultural experiences and many other agricultural activities to enrich their stay in the countryside.