[Photo/Xinhua]

Tourists hoping to find peace at the site were disappointed. "It has very unique architecture. But it just feels too commercial," says Li Qiang, who traveled 2,000 kilometers from Shandong province.

"Some of the buildings being built will completely block the view of the old houses along the mountainside, leaving you only the viewing platform to admire it," says a Canadian tourist using the name "Jean-Pierre D" on the tourism website China Highlights.

Despite the explosive growth in tourist numbers, villagers says they have seen fewer foreign visitors in the past couple years.

The committee acted to strike a balance between development and conservation.

It passed a rule on Oct 18 limiting new buildings in the village to 15 each year. They must be built in the traditional Miao timbered style, and construction is subject to the committee's approval.

Committee members are now publicizing the rule in the neighborhood and lobbying villagers to dismantle modern buildings they have built. "We've reached a consensus on protecting our village. It means that our development will get on the right track," Hou says.