For Jiang Yu's parents, a college degree meant a different life for their son who left Haiwei, a coastal village in Xiapu county, Ningde, East China's Fujian province.

But graduate Jiang decided to return in 2018 after quitting his city job.

Seeing the potential in tourism, Jiang and two of his friends set up a travel company in Xiapu in 2018 to introduce more people to the county's tourism charms.

"In Haiwei village, there are stone pillars eroded by the waves, visible only at low tide. Fuying island has large expanses of black sand beaches and huge reefs. Isolated Dongshuang island resembles a scene from the video game The Legend of Zelda, with its cliffs, grasslands and a cinematic feel," the man of the post-1990s generation says, adding that these are precious resources to be explored in Xiapu.

As a fan of outdoor adventures himself, Jiang and his team designed and promoted an off-the-beaten-path route on isolated Sishuang islands in 2019, and they are now popular among outdoor enthusiasts across the country.