A view of stone houses in Dongji village in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Zhoushan Daily] 

Dongji village in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province has been listed among China's beautiful leisure villages, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Nov 14.

Two hundred and fifty-five villages across the country made the list.

The village, which is best known for its stunning sea views and characteristic fishery customs, has in recent years been leveraging its natural resources to develop its homestay industry, which would become a key driver of rural vitalization.

The village has channeled resources towards renovating its stone houses that are considered important carriers of marine culture.

The village has also been making efforts to integrate fishery culture into its tourism industry. For example, it has developed cultural and creative products related to fishermen's paintings, as well as held a series of events such as fishery culture festivals.

In addition, the village's authorities have been trying to improve the utilization rate of its collective properties through subleasing, leasing and transferring, and this has greatly increased local residents' incomes.

The village is currently home to three recreational fishing companies that operate 174 fishing ships and provide jobs to 152 fishermen.

The village's collective economy in 2021 was 2.33 million yuan ($325,554), while the per capita income was 49,000 yuan.

Zhoushan is currently home to four such villages – Dinghai district's Xinjian village, Shengsi county's Huaniao village, and Putuo district's Baishagang village and Dongji village.