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Villages in Jiangxi and their own blueprints for rural revitalization | |
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![]() The Wangxian Valley Scenic Area in Wangxian Township, Guangxin District, Shangrao City, Jiangxi, on July 11 (ZHANG YAGE)
Xu Zhicheng, a 25-year-old homestay operator, is a native of Wangxian Village in Wangxian Township, Guangxin District in Shangrao City of Jiangxi Province. After graduating from university, he returned to his family's ancestral property and spent the first half of 2024 renovating the old house, transforming it into a stylish boutique guesthouse.
"I converted the second floor of my family's old house into eight guest rooms, while the ground floor now operates as a hanfu (the traditional attire of the Han Chinese) experience studio," Xu told Beijing Review. "In the first half of this year alone, my revenue from the two businesses exceeded 400,000 yuan ($55,000)." "Wangxian Valley has gone viral on social media platforms," Xu added. "During peak holidays, our rooms are fully booked every day. Beyond managing my own homestay, I also help elderly villagers—who aren't as familiar with online platforms—market their guesthouses. Now, almost everyone in our village is involved in the booming homestay business." Xu and his fellow villagers' homestay business owes its success to the Wangxian Valley Scenic Area, located just a five-minute drive from Wangxian Village. Opened to the public in 2017, this awe-inspiring destination has rapidly become one of China's most talked-about ecotourism spots. Nestled in the rugged scenery of Lingshan Mountain, the valley blends dramatic natural landscapes—cascading waterfalls, emerald-green pools and sheer cliffs—with ingenious human craftsmanship. Its signature "hanging houses," traditional architecture clinging to vertiginous rock faces, have turned the area into a social media sensation. Miraculous transformation Today, visitors to the valley and its neighboring village are greeted by breathtaking natural scenery and colorful rural culture. Yet this area was once known as Jiangxi's granite production hub—and one of Shangrao's most polluted zones. The valley sits in a rare circular granite formation, a geological wonder. Beginning in the 1990s, the region became a major granite slab production base, known as the "Stone Town." At its peak, nearly 200 granite production lines operated here, providing livelihoods for thousands of workers. But uncontrolled mining and outdated extraction methods ravaged the ecosystem. In 2007, local authorities shut down Wangxian Town's stone-processing industry to protect the environment. The move came at a social cost: With incomes severed, young workers fled to cities in search of work, leaving only senior residents and children behind in the hollowed-out villages. "The ecological consequences of the quarrying industry were severe—the canyon streams turned milky white, becoming what locals called 'milky rivers,' while mountain vegetation almost disappeared," Xu Silin, Secretary of the Wangxian Village Branch of the Communist Party of China (CPC), told Beijing Review. "Therefore, with the villagers' consent, we brought in tourism investment to rehabilitate the landscape." With advice and investment from the tourism company, the village's abandoned mining sites were creatively renovated: A quarry pit was transformed into a "Time Tunnel" attraction preserving industrial relics, enhanced with light installations and cliff-side walkways. Former excavation sites now house trendy cafés and canyon-viewing platforms. The most dramatic transformation is at Wangxian Cliff, once a 120-meter barren rock face. Climbing plants, aerial walkways, dazzling nighttime light shows and other ecological restoration efforts have turned the cliff into an online sensation attracting over 1 billion views on Chinese social media. The rise of the Wangxian Valley Scenic Area has triggered a remarkable homecoming of migrant workers, reversing years of labor exodus. "Annual visitors has exceeded 3 million for three consecutive years, creating diverse opportunities—some villagers run homestays, restaurants and hanfu studios from their properties in the Wangxian Village, while others work directly in the scenic area as cleaners, food vendors, or operations staff," Xu Silin explained. According to statistics from Guangxin District, the scenic area has generated over 2,000 local jobs, as well as provides locals with specialized tourism training. The tourism boom at Wangxian Valley has also attracted outside investors alongside returning locals. "I opened a teahouse here in 2020 and started operating a boutique guesthouse in 2025," 33-year-old Hu Mei, founder of the Shanjiantang Homestay in Wangxian Village, said. "I lease this property for 400,000 yuan annually and have invested over 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) in architectural upgrades and smart home systems and appliances." "What drew me to the valley was its pristine ecology and strong government support for tourism," she explained. "The scenic area offers truly unique landscape and distinctive architecture. Since the beginning of this July, we've maintained over 90-percent occupancy. It's become a perfect getaway for young travelers nationwide." To cater to Gen Z customers, Hu's property features trendy amenities including a cocktail bar and landscaped gardens. The business currently employs 20 local staff members. ![]() Students on summer break tours paint the ancient buildings in Zhuqiao Village, Jinxi County, Fuzhou City, Jiangxi, on July 9 (ZHANG YAGE)
Historical threads While the transformation of mines and the development of cultural tourism have turned Wangxian Village, once ecologically damaged, into a renowned scenic spot, Jiangxi's Zhuqiao Ancient Village has become a must-visit destination for history buffs through the preservation of its historic architecture. Jinxi County has many ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). In 2018, Jinxi, together with the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation, launched an initiative to save local ancient architectures, raising 80 million yuan ($11 million) to fund emergency repairs for over 1,000 endangered ancient buildings. The restored structures retain their original materials and architectural style while incorporating modern functionality. Additionally, the county pioneered a digital household registration system for ancient villages, creating detailed digital archives for each building, including its construction era, structural features and connections to historical figures. Today, some Zhuqiao locals still reside in the restored houses, while others have moved into a new community a few km away, returning during the day to work in the village's thriving cultural tourism industry. Yang Ziyu, now a resident of the new community, commutes daily to her food stall in Zhuqiao, where she sells glutinous rice cakes—a traditional Chinese snack made from pounded sticky rice. "Many villagers also sell local produce here," Yang said, pointing to the fruit and vegetable stalls under nearby trees. "I wanted to offer snacks tourists can enjoy on the spot. With the summer break currently in full swing, we're seeing many student study-tour groups. I earn an average of around 300 yuan ($41.7) a day—far more than I can make from farming," she added. A map at the village entrance reveals a harmonious blend of old and new—coffee shops, tofu workshops, homestays and bookstores sitting among centuries-old buildings. In 2024 alone, Zhuqiao welcomed 514,300 visitors, generating over 3 million yuan ($419,466) in additional income for local households. ![]() A lush forest of over 2,000 pond cypress trees in Hupi Village, Tacheng Town, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, on July 8 (ZHANG YAGE)
Fresh forces Today's accelerating urbanization continues to depopulate rural areas as villagers seek employment opportunities in cities. To tackle this issue, Hupi Village in Tacheng Township, Nanchang City in Jiangxi, has adopted a strategy: recruiting more "new villagers." "Since the first 'new villager' settled in 2020, we have successfully attracted 25 new households," Yang Jianhui, Secretary of CPC Tacheng Township Committee, said. The goal is to attract young urbanites that yearn for rural life to come to the village and rent the empty houses of those who left in pursuit of urban employment. "To attract more young people to develop new businesses in our village, we've not only improved infrastructure but also supply new residents with free water and electricity, along with guaranteed stable leases of 10 to 20 years," Liu Chang, the first secretary stationed in Hupi Village, explained. A first secretary in a village is typically a young CPC member selected from outstanding young cadres and reserve cadres of CPC organs at all levels to assist with poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. China's rural revitalization, a strategy introduced at the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, promotes the economic prosperity and overall development of rural areas. It builds on the success of the nationwide poverty alleviation campaign that had eradicated absolute poverty as of late 2020. The 25 new households run businesses ranging from bookshops and handmade jewelry shops to flower studios and experiential learning workshops. "I rented this house and I'm turning it into a pottery studio for children," Zhang Feihua, a "new villager" and entrepreneur, said. "This place is only half an hour's drive from Nanchang City, and I believe it will make for the perfect getaway from city life." In addition to the new residents who have already settled in, the village has identified 16 fully equipped houses available for rent, covering an area of about 1,980 square meters. "Our advantages include well-developed infrastructure, proximity to Nanchang and extremely affordable rents," Yang Jianhui explained. "The rents of properties, depending on the size and the condition of the houses, range only about 1,000 to 3,000 yuan ($139-417) per year. We have dedicated staff to handle negotiations with potential new residents interested in renting properties—the process is streamlined." "New residents gain low-cost space to design, renovate and launch businesses with our support. For the original residents, the income from renting out their homes brings financial benefits—it's a win-win," Yang added. Hupi also boasts another unique ecological advantage. Encircled by water on three sides, it enjoys a pristine lakeside wetland landscape. Its over 2,000 pond cypress trees provide ideal nesting grounds for migratory birds. "What sets Hupi apart is the extended bird-watching season here," Liu explained. "From March to July, summer migratory birds nest and breed here, while winter migrants reside from November through March. Most bird watching locations only offer one birding season—and we have two. This draws flocks of avian enthusiasts who often stay for months, boosting our homestay and restaurant businesses." "To accommodate bird-watching tourists, the village has built walking trails and observation decks near the cypress trees," Liu said. "To protect nesting birds during breeding season, we close certain trails in summer and prohibit drones, feeding, littering and loud noises, so they clearly feel at home here. Our annual migratory bird counts remain consistently stable." "The ecological and economic benefits of protecting migratory birds are remarkable," Yang Jianhui said. "One new villager who opened a homestay here told me he recouped his investment in just three months during the bird-watching season." ![]() An e-commerce training session for villagers in Tiquan Village, Xingangshan Town, Dexing City, Jiangxi, on July 12 (ZHANG YAGE)
Hotline While many villages rely on natural landscapes, ecological advantages or historical heritage for development, building industrial clusters has emerged as another proven path to rural revitalization. Tiquan Village in Xingangshan Town, Dexing City, Jiangxi, is a case in point. Before 2015, Tiquan was an ordinary village with most of villagers engaged in farming or working in other cities. Today, its 2,800 residents operate over 700 shops on Taobao, e-commerce giant Alibaba's super popular shopping app, with e-commerce transactions hitting 186 million yuan ($25.88 million) in 2018—ranking first among all e-commerce villages in Jiangxi. By 2024, annual sales had surged to 250 million yuan ($34.8 million). "I hired 120 villagers in my workshop, shipping over 2,000 orders daily and generating over 20 million yuan ($2.8 million) in annual sales," Qi Huidong, founder of Qishi Fabric Art and one of the earliest entrepreneurs to return to the village for e-commerce, said. "Having spent years in Zhejiang Province's e-commerce sector, I decided to start up my own business at my home in the village. Now, I've expanded the business to a new factory." Tiquan's transformation began in 2016 when local resident Qi Huahua led a group of relatives, including Qi Huidong, in launching Taobao stores. Drawing on their previous experience working in Yiwu, Zhejiang's renowned e-commerce hub, the villagers quickly adapted their skills. Gradually, they cultivated a prosperous home textile cluster right in their own village. Tiquan's online shops primarily sell home décor products such as door curtains, aprons, tablecloths, tissue box covers, throw pillows and wall hangings. In May 2016, the Xingangshan Town CPC Committee raised 1.5 million yuan (then equivalent to approximately $225,000) to establish an industrial park. The project included four factory buildings spanning 6,700 square meters. "We've established an industrial park in the village to attract more entrepreneurs while also building a digital center to assist businesses with data analytics and market insights. The first batch of entrepreneurs in Tiquan started by selling curtains. Now, the village has expanded its business scope to various fabric products. Also, they operate a complete textile production chain—handling fabric procurement, material processing, cutting, sewing, dyeing and even manufacturing accessories, like spring-loaded curtain rods and custom shipping packaging, independently," Yang Zhiyu, head of Xingangshan Town, said. Looking to the future, local authorities plan to scale up efforts in three areas: attracting skilled professionals to boost family-run businesses, providing e-commerce training for local youth, including those returning from cities, and pursuing investment opportunities to upgrade the industry and build brand recognition. "This strategic approach aims to elevate Tiquan's textile sector from its current successful operations to a more sophisticated and branded industry, ensuring sustainable growth for the village's distinctive e-commerce model," Yang Zhiyu added. (Reporting from Jiangxi Province) Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon Comments to zhangyage@cicgamericas.com |
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