Guests enjoy their stay at the homestay owned by Zhuang Yue, a former interior decorator, in Zhoupu town, Shanghai, which offers a spacious courtyard and recreation facilities. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Wedding ceremony

The expanding market has attracted more young entrepreneurs. To stand out from their rivals and appeal to customers, some homestays run by young people even offer wedding services.

In 2020, Zhuang Yue applied the skills he acquired during his time as an interior decorator to running the Sanjian homestay in Zhoupu town, Shanghai.

In late October, the homestay hosted a stylish private wedding ceremony. Flowers were arranged and the bride and groom had their photos taken in the courtyard.

"Most of the guests the couple invited were friends of their own age, so they wanted to try a venue that was a little unconventional to host their wedding," Zhuang said.

The homestay, which is about an hour's drive from downtown Shanghai, is built on the site of a rural property that was 30 years old.

Zhuang played a key role in designing the business, which offers a spacious courtyard and recreation facilities such as a swimming pool, barbecue sets, a reading room and children's playground.

The guest rooms boast modern conveniences and imaginative designs, with some of the ceilings looking as though they are wrapped in cotton.

Visitors to the homestay watch the fireworks display from Shanghai Disneyland, which is about 4 kilometers away.

"One of the highlights of our place is that you can take a photograph in any area of it, and it will look great," Zhuang said

He decided to change his career path after traveling to Weizhou Island, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

"I stayed in a local homestay and it felt great. It was different from living in a hotel, as I could talk to other guests as though they were friends," he said.

Zhuang's homestay has become popular with travelers from Shanghai and neighboring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

"Our occupancy rate stayed above 80 percent throughout July and August," Zhuang said, adding that he believes only quality service and distinctive facilities can ensure the sustainable development of homestays.

According to experts in the industry, China's private homestays pay most attention to design, to cater to guests' desire to take photos.

Much to the surprise of Li, who owns the homestay at the foot of Tianmu Mountain, a group of special guests visit her business during work days to stage commercial shooting and team-building events.

She and her husband not only enjoy running the business, but they also find time to pursue their love of gardening and listening to music. They tend a 2,000-square-meter garden, which is home to a variety of plants, including roses, hydrangeas, osmanthus and cedar trees.

"It's the best of both worlds," Li said.