"Minsu can link many things together," said Kang Qian, deputy head of Gangxi.

"It can incorporate experience programs, dining and other activities that would make tourists stay and spend."

Among those working at this minsu is Xing Haiyan, a Chongming native who previously worked in a marketing firm in downtown Shanghai.

"I took up this job because I wanted to show people what countryside life is like. I grew up on a farm so I know the joys of living in such an environment," said Xing, whose job involves organizing activities such as one-day family programs at the farm.

Xing is also in charge of the social media accounts, and it was through this medium that Geng Lijun discovered Ban Ri Xian. Geng, who has lived in downtown Shanghai all her life, loved the environment so much that she visited the minsu several times last year. These short getaways were also a good way for her son to learn things outside the classroom, she said.