Shanghe county in northwestern Jinan is working to develop rural tourism integrating folk culture and hot springs by using its local resources to promote its high-quality development.

The yangko dance in Shanghe county is a folk dance that dates back nearly 2,000 years and was included on the first national intangible cultural heritage items list in 2006. Shanghe is building an intangible heritage culture cluster focusing on yangko to promote its folk culture.

Hot springs are one of the most common natural features in Shanghe. The county is home to 18 villages featuring hot springs and ecological and cultural scenic spots. In 2021, Shanghe received 2.52 million tourists, generating tourism revenues totaling over 3 billion yuan ($415.74 million).

In the future, Shanghe will promote hot spring tourism and focus on the development of rural tourism, e-commerce, folk culture and flower-planting to boost the county’s high-quality development.