Published by ChinaMNC · Jilin City

Jilin Province Opens Trial Program for Long-Stay Wellness Tourism: What Foreign Founders Should Know

Jilin's 2026 trial plan for 'residence-based' wellness and health tourism sets targets through 2028 across counties, resorts, scenic areas, villages, residential clusters and elder-care institutions — a practical guide for foreign founders evaluating tourism and senior-care opportunities in China.

Jilin Launches Residence-Based Wellness and Health Tourism Trial

On 29 April 2026, the General Office of the Jilin Provincial People's Government issued a notice (Jizhengbanhan [2026] No. 37), published on 9 May 2026, circulating a trial work plan to promote high-quality development of residence-based wellness and health tourism (旅居康养) in the province. The document is classified under commerce, customs and tourism, and remains listed as valid.

For foreign founders looking at China's tourism, hospitality, senior-care or health-service sectors, the plan is worth reading closely: it signals where local governments in Jilin intend to direct policy attention and where pilot designations may open doors for service providers, operators and investors.

What the Plan Sets Out to Do

The plan frames the initiative around Jilin's existing natural and ecological resources, its summer-retreat positioning and its traditional Chinese medicine wellness assets. It calls for early experimentation to cultivate the residence-based wellness sector and to build new momentum for the province's development.

The core concept is to turn selected counties, tourist resorts, key scenic areas, key tourism villages, clustered residential communities and elder-care institutions into destinations that are both livable and visitable — places shared by residents and visitors. The stated ambition is for Jilin to become a "second residence" combining summer leisure, wellness holidays and cultural experiences, and to expand the number of visitors staying longer than 10 days, forming a migratory "bird-style" residence pattern.

2028 Targets

The plan sets concrete targets for 2028. Jilin aims to develop:

• 6 pilot counties (cities, districts) with rich tourism resources and supporting wellness services;
• 6 pilot wellness resorts;
• 10 pilot scenic-area wellness clusters;
• 20 pilot wellness villages;
• 30 pilot clustered residential communities;
• 80 pilot elder-care institutions.

The plan also targets 30,000 new beds for residence-based wellness, an average annual growth rate of over 10 percent in visitor numbers staying longer than 10 days, and a 2028 figure of 3.8 million such visits. It envisions clusters anchored by the Greater Changbai Mountain area and the Changchun metropolitan circle, and corridors along the Songhua River and national highways G331 and G334, along with promotion of a Greater Changbai Mountain summer wellness brand and nationally selected destinations.

Three Foundation Tasks

The plan assigns three initial tasks, all led by the provincial Department of Culture and Tourism:

• Compile a work guide. A Jilin residence-based wellness trial work guide will cover core tourism features, wellness business strengths and supporting services, providing guidance and standards.
• Select pilots. Key tourism counties, resorts, scenic clusters, villages, residential communities and elder-care institutions will be chosen for early cultivation, with the aim of producing replicable experience.
• Build a resource directory. Existing and reserve resource pools will be compiled, a Jilin residence-based wellness resource directory published, and a resource map drawn to show distribution and spatial layout.

Six Pilot Categories and What They Involve

The plan sets out six categories of pilot development, each relevant to different operating models.

1. Pilot Counties and Districts

Based on local resource endowments, livable urban districts will host destinations combining ecological sightseeing, cultural experience, health preservation and leisure shopping. Key scenic areas, city parks and leisure districts will be used, with public services in healthcare, elder care, culture and sports improved and smarter service levels raised.

2. Upgraded Wellness Resorts

Resorts are to pursue high-end, internationalized positioning, improving international service standards and multilingual reception capacity. The plan calls for wellness centers, private health concierge services and customized healing programs.

3. Scenic-Area Wellness Clusters

Scenic areas with residence conditions will expand wellness functions and integrate with nearby dining, shopping, leisure and medical services. The plan encourages consumption linkage mechanisms, such as shared discounts and coordinated pricing between scenic areas and nearby businesses.

4. Wellness Villages

Key tourism villages will host multi-theme rural stays, including "slow living" wellness villages. Public spaces such as rural cafes, village reading rooms and countryside tea rooms are to be built to suit long-stay visitors' social and aesthetic preferences. The plan encourages a whole-village operating model benefiting companies, village collectives and households.

5. Clustered Residential Communities

Revitalizing existing assets is the main route: state-owned idle assets, inefficient urban buildings and factories, unsold commercial housing, forest wellness bases, forestry hotels and employee recuperation facilities may be developed into "small and beautiful" wellness communities with distinctive attractions.

Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders

Several elements merit attention from a market-entry perspective. The explicit reference to internationalized resorts and multilingual reception suggests demand for operators and service providers with cross-border experience. The emphasis on elder care, healthcare, sports and cultural public services points to adjacent sectors where foreign-invested entities can operate, subject to China's foreign investment rules and sector-specific licensing.

The "whole-village operation" model and consumption linkage mechanisms may create partnership structures with village collectives and local operators. The asset-revitalization route — idle state-owned properties, unsold housing, forestry hotels — could suit founders exploring leased or managed hospitality projects rather than greenfield construction.

Founders should note that the plan is a provincial trial framework. It assigns responsibilities to provincial departments and requires municipal and county governments to implement tasks. Details on pilot selection criteria, investment rules and licensing will emerge through follow-up documents. Foreign founders should verify entity registration, sector permissions and local incentives with qualified advisers before committing capital.

Next Steps

Foreign founders interested in tourism, senior care or wellness services in northeast China can monitor Jilin's culture and tourism department for the work guide, resource directory and pilot lists. Establishing a locally registered company is typically the first operational step for contracting, hiring and accessing local programs.

Foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535 for help registering and operating a company in China.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.