China's 'richest village' takes tourism to the skies

The cost of a 10-minute flight is RMB 1,000 per person. But either helicopter can be rented at RMB 35,000 per hour. The village is currently giving one free ride to every resident.

The aircraft will take off and land at Jiangyin Huaxi Heliport, an airport built and owned by the village.

Wu Xie’en (???), chairmen of Huaxi Group and secretary of the party committee from Huaxi Village, told Xinhua News Agency that the purpose of the aviation development is to boost local tourism.

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HGA is set to expand its fleet to five helicopters and one business jet by 2015.

The company is also looking to set up tourist business in Qingdao, Gulangyu, Guangzhou and Hainan, and then run airlines between Huaxi and these destinations.
Tourism ambition

Huaxi welcomes approximately 2 million tourists every year.

The village’s previous tourism efforts include spending RMB 3 billion to build an 800-room luxury hotel Longxi International Hotel, which opened last October.

The 328-meter, 74-story property houses a one-ton gold ox in the lobby and is as lofty as China World Center, the tallest building in Beijing.

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The village has also duplicated various domestic and overseas tourist landmarks to reel in visitors.

The replicas include the Great Wall of China, Tian’anmen Square, Arc de Triomphe, and United States Capitol Building.
China’s wealthiest village

Regarded "China’s wealthiest village" by many, Huaxi is often touted as a model socialist village.

According to China Daily, every local household resides in a plush villa, own two cars and has at least US$250,000 worth of reminbi in the bank. By comparison, last year the annual income for an average Chinese farmer was RMB 6,977.

Huaxi's economic boom is largely attributed to a highly centralized authority.

Villagers are shareholders of Huaxi Group and are paid mostly in stocks and physical assets, rather than cash. Huaxi Group is managed by the local secretary of the party committee and decides what to invest and when.

Locals work seven days a week. In return, they enjoy free healthcare and education. But if they move out of the community, they cannot take their assets with them.

The village even went public and is a listed company on Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Getting there: Huaxi Village is in southeast Jiangyin, a county-level city in Jiangsu. Jiangyin Dongmen Bus Station runs buses to Huaxi every day. Shanghai Long-distance Bus Station and Shanghai South Long-distance Bus Station operates coaches to Jiangyin frequently.

Sourced: cnngo