Zhejiang is certainly delivering on those principles. Deqing county in Huzhou, for example, is attracting urbanites from nearby cities to its Moganshan Sports Town to enjoy outdoor activities and clean air in the mountainous area.

The 185-square-kilometer Moganshan township has a population of 31,000, with forest coverage of 90 percent. The area's rugged terrain makes it a perfect location to host outdoor activities.

Xia Yusen operates a sports-themed homestay, named Qiyu, in Moganshan Sports Town. Each week he organizes various outdoor sports activities, such as hiking, camping and mountain biking, with both visitors and locals signing up for the fun.

"I want to attract all sports lovers to my homestay so we can enjoy the benefits and fun of outdoor activities. We can gather together and communicate," said Xia, who claimed his business earned about 400,000 yuan ($61,000) profit last year.

"Visitors can play various sports here in the homestay such as table tennis, rock climbing, swimming and have fitness training in our gym. And we also have outdoor activities here like hiking and mountain biking. We organize different outdoor sports activities according to the weather conditions of the different seasons.

"I have turned my sports hobby into my career. I can use my experience in sports to better serve the local residents and visitors who come to Moganshan and let them enjoy the charm of outdoor sports activities. There are many famous sports town in the world, but they are not so common in China. I hope to help build Moganshan into one of the country's most renowned sports towns."