Tourists gather around a pond in Xidi village in Yixian, Anhui province. FANG LONG/FOR CHINA DAILY
The development of the tourism industry and a steady inflow of young entrepreneurs have injected new life into ancient rural villages in China, where travelers can visit well-preserved historical architecture, cultural and natural assets, and the residents upholding traditions. China's experience in reinvigorating ancient villages also provides references for other countries in their attempts at historical preservation and restoration.
International recognition
Rooted in the farming culture, China has over 600,000 administrative villages with diverse customs, eating habits and cultural vibes, among whom, eight villages are recognized as the "Best Tourism Village" by the World Tourism Organization, a United Nations agency, in recent years.
The UNWTO Best Tourism Villages initiative, launched in 2021, utilizes an all-around evaluation of villages "with accredited cultural and natural assets, a commitment to preserving community-based values, and a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability across economic, social and environmental dimensions".
Zhagana village in the Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture, in China's northwestern Gansu province, won UNWTO's recognition in October last year because of its spectacular natural scenery of valleys, rivers, primeval forests and glaciers and also the distinctive Tibetan-style houses, culture and slow-paced lifestyle of the residents.
Zhagana, meaning "stone box" in the Tibetan language, is located at an altitude of around 3,500 meters with the highest peak reaching 4,500 m. The steep mountains, forests, lakes and grasslands and the skillful stone walls shape the village into a "stone palace".
China's other seven villages achieving the honor are Yucun village in Zhejiang; Xidi village in Anhui; Dazhai village in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region; Jingzhu village in Chongqing; Huangling village in Jiangxi; Zhujiawan village in Shaanxi; and Xiajiang village in Zhejiang.
Xidi gets an upgrade
The Xidi village of Yixian in Huangshan, in the eastern province of Anhui, is another Best Tourism Village, mainly for its harmonious blend of natural views, activities and well-preserved ancient buildings. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
The village, with a history of 970 years, was shaped back in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) and embraced its heyday in the early Qing Dynasty (1616-1911). Its strong vibes of Huizhou culture, highlighted through an iconic memorial archway and ancestral temples, woos tourists from home and abroad, especially young entrepreneurs.
Artisan Zheng Chunsheng makes souvenirs in Xidi village last month. CHENG SI/CHINA DAILY
"The village was in poverty with residents mainly living on agricultural activities like farming, planting tea and raising silkworms. Things began to change after they developed tourism in 1986, taking advantage of the village's historical architecture and Huizhou culture," said Zhang Sheli, general manager of Yixian Huihuang Xidi Tourism Development Co.
He said that the tourism business was first operated by the villagers but transferred to the company in 2013. "The village's tourism is managed trilaterally by the local government, the company and the village, aiming at fairer and scientific management for common prosperity."
He said that developing tourism in the ancient village of Xidi has not only raised the incomes of residents, who gained jobs from restaurants, homestays or the tourism company, but it is pushing forward better protection of the village with residents' conciseness of sanitation, environmental protection and culture heritage enhanced. Winning the title of Best Tourism Village has helped Xidi experience an increase in tourism visits in recent years.
"In 2023, Xidi received 944,900 visits with ticket sales reaching about 43.4 million yuan ($6.15 million), up 180.89 percent and 121.51 percent from that in 2021, respectively — when the village had won the title from the UNWTO," he said, adding that the village has received more travelers from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Taiwan, as well as those from South Korea, the United States and Singapore.
Hu Huizhong, the 60-year-old chairman of Xidi's elderly association, said that developing tourism has greatly changed the village and its residents, who overcame cash-strapped days and show a more upbeat spirit for their improving lives.
Zheng Chunsheng, 61, moved to the village in 2014 from the central province of Hubei after being fascinated by its leisurely life, natural scenery and long-standing culture.
"I worked as an art teacher in Wuhan, Hubei, and took students to the village for site drawings from the late 1990s to early 2000. I became a professional artist in Beijing before moving to the village.
"I've traveled many places nationwide and I think Xidi preserves the traditional Chinese farming and Huizhou cultures, which is what attracted me," he said, now operating cultural and creative product shops in the village with his family.
Tourists relax on the grassland outside Zhagana village in Gannan, Gansu province, in August. CHEN YONGGANG/FOR CHINA DAILY
Young entrepreneurs
The ancient Xidi village has also lured many young people whose modern business-running ideas and techniques have reinvigorated the millennial village.
Hong Yue, 33, returned to Xidi after finishing his undergraduate education in China's southwest Chongqing around 2014 and now runs homestays and a cafe in the village.
"The village is my hometown with rich tourism resources that had yet to be fully tapped. It was a chance to start my own business," he said. His business earned him a good income before the pandemic, with annual revenue totaling roughly 400,000 yuan. He redecorated the homestays and cafe during the outbreak.
"I remember more young people came to the village to start businesses, like coffee shops, grocery stores and homestays around 2019. The village has about 25 cafes and 70 to 80 homestays now," he said, adding that more foreign travelers are coming to his cafe and homestay mainly from Asian and European countries such as Japan and France.
Unlike Hong with his clear life objectives, 29-year-old Zhang Yong from Anhui's Chizhou city takes the village as an out-of-this-world site. He said he first came to the village when he was in college and decided to open his business around 2016.
"The main reason I made this decision is for the slow-paced life with less workload. The village was a good place to escape from job pressures. I felt lost as I just graduated from college," he said, adding that he invested in a tiny bar selling beer and beverages and a small bookshop on a small budget for living.
However, he closed the two shops due to poor management in 2018 and 2020 and landed a new media-related job in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in 2020. "I returned to the village in 2021 and opened a new coffee shop. Everything here is good for me and I think I will stay until I figure out my next career plan."
Pan Chenli and his wife settled in the village about five years ago, lured by the "hustle and bustle" and otherworldly life of the village, where they now run a homestay.
"Xidi has very strict requirements for renovating these historical buildings with the main structure and exterior walls not allowed to change to protect the 'soul' of the building. It cost us nearly 2 million yuan in renovations and decorating for the six rooms of our homestay. We waited almost one and a half years for the local authorities to review the restoration and decoration plans," said the 36-year-old, who is from Shexian, a county neighboring Xidi.
He said that he and his wife worked at the travel portal Trip.com Group and that experience gives them advantages in running and promoting the homestay online. "Peak season is usually from March to November when the booking rate remains around 85 percent."
He added that many customers, including foreign travelers, became their friends after spending several nights. "I remember in July, there were two guests from Russia living in my homestay for two days. They didn't speak Mandarin so we helped them to arrange an itinerary."
Visitors tour Xidi village in Yixian county, Anhui province, in July. The village boasts the iconic architectural style of Huizhou culture. SHI YALEI/FOR CHINA DAILY
Future development
The development of villages' economy, tourism and good reputations has epitomized China's economic and social advancement, as well as the effective measures the nation has released to vitalize rural areas and narrow the urban-rural gaps.
"China has eight villages on the Best Tourism Villages list by the UNWTO, which is a recognition of the country's rural tourism progress. Applying for and achieving the world-level honor will stimulate other provinces or villages to optimize their tourism services and residents' lives, benefiting the rural economy," said Song Ziqian, dean of the Policy and Science& Education Institute of the China Tourism Academy.
He said that China has channeled great resources into improving infrastructure and transportation in rural areas, laying a good foundation for developing village tourism. Chinese people's desire for a quiet, leisurely holiday in rural villages because of the farming culture and high pressures of urban life will drive the continuous and sustainable development of rural tourism.
"However, to harmoniously balance and combine the development of rural tourism and rural economy remains a challenge. The original ecology of a village is the key element that differentiates rural tourism from other types of tourism, but we can't ignore villagers' livelihoods in the name of 'keeping the ecology intact'. It's another problem to inherit the village's cultural assets in the process of digging into its tourism potential," he added.
Wang Yan, from Kchange Tourism Group headquartered in Shanghai, agrees that China's success in raising villages' reputations to the world will help attract more talent and financial investment to the countryside to use the villages' resources of assets and lands in more efficient and scientific ways.
"Talent shortage is the core issue hampering village development. More young people, or those with better educations or skills, will return to rural areas thanks to their increasing identity with rural development and the villages' growing world reputation.
"From my perspective, it's a trend to improve the existing infrastructure in rural areas into higher quality with more humanitarian value and economic benefits," he said.
He added that it is also necessary to deepen the integration of rural industries with village tourism and culture to produce some distinctive intellectual property, mainly referring to popular online products with potential economic values, to reach the sustainable development of rural tourism.
