Yishui county upgrades rural roads to drive rural revitalization

Yishui county in Linyi, East China's Shandong province, has applied meticulous, embroidery-like precision to building scenic rural roads, turning them into corridors that connect urban and rural areas, serve residents and boost rural tourism.

The county has 3,823 kilometers of rural roads and has completed 11.3 million square meters of hardened roads to household doorsteps, achieving full coverage of road access to every village and household. Building on this, the county transport bureau has focused not merely on connectivity but on quality and appearance, pushing roads from basic access toward better and more scenic travel.

In 2025, the Caoyao county road won a second prize in the Shandong tourism road innovation and application competition, was named a typical case in the province's second batch of premium tourism roads, was listed among the China Highway and Transportation Society's 2025 beautiful roads, and featured in the Ministry of Transport's Spring Festival livestream under the theme "the road at my doorstep."

This year, the county invested more than 3 million yuan ($422,000) in beautification projects at more than ten road nodes, using micro-renovations to add polish to livable and business-friendly villages.

The Longzhang county road links Nanhuang village, the 520 Love Road and Gezhuang village around the Bashan Reservoir rural tourism area, drawing weekend visitors. "The road used to be narrow with bare roadsides. Now it is wider and flowers bloom along it in all seasons, and visitors come specifically for it, which has boosted our farm restaurants," said Wang Kecheng, a resident of Xinjiazhuang village along the route.

The county transport bureau launched a special node construction project this year, creating four new scenic nodes at road entrances and intersections of county and provincial roads. Professional designers drew on local Yimeng features, balancing safety, cost and appearance, with pine, stone, lawn and flowers arranged so that views change with the seasons.

The Xuyao county road, linking an industrial park at one end and the national 5A-level Underground Grand Canyon scenic area at the other, carries heavy freight and tourist traffic. "This road serves both trucks and tour buses, so safety comes first. We plan road safety improvements and landscaping together so that one node delivers multiple benefits," said Wu Qinggui, a member of the county transport bureau's Party group and director of the county rural road service center.

At sharp curves, steep slopes and intersections, the county has carried out targeted improvements: three-dimensional landscaping at right-angle intersections, optimized lighting, added safety signs and widened sightlines; wall murals and expanded greenery near the industrial park; and low native vegetation at intersections to keep sightlines clear while adding Yimeng character.

"Building these scenic rural roads is not just about greening and beautification. The core is using roads as a link to drive coordinated development of rural tourism and industry, turning residents' commuting routes into routes to income and happiness," Wu said. The county will continue to connect nodes into lines and lines into a network, he added.

Editor：韩蒙蒙