Rural Rebirth
2019-09-02BySherryQin
By Sherry Qin
Xijingyu Village， with only 500 inhabitants and hidden away in the mountains of Jizhou District of Tianjin， has reinvented itself into a must-see tourist site in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region over the past few years.
Established in the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911）， Xijingyu is a veritable “stone village，”with roads paved with stones， houses built with stones， together with the ubiquitous stone-built public facilities. It is also part of a national geological park.
The turning point came in 2014. That year， Li Qian， CEO of Beijing-based Jiulue Tourism Advisory Firm， made a proposal to the Jizhou District Government to transform old farmhouses in Xijingyu into boutique homestays with fewer rooms， highlighting the villages unique architectural characteristics.
“This modest and intact village appealed to us at fi rst sight. It was surprising how well-preserved and long-hidden it was between Beijing and Tianjin， the two most populous cities in north China，” Qiu Tian， manager of Jiulues homestay program in Xijingyu， told Beijing Review.
Xijingyus updated courtyard houses satisfy tourists needs for country life as well as a premium accommodation experience. “Its totally different from those rustic rural farmhouses in my mind. It is an oasis of peace and tranquillity to have a taste of authentic country life，” said a tourist on Dianping， Chinas location-based review site.
In the first half of 2019， 1.51 billion Chinese urban dwellers chose rural areas as their travel destinations， up 10.2 percent year on year
In July， a total of 320 villages across China， including Xijingyu， were designated rural tourism demonstration destinations by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism（MCT） and the National Development and Reform Commission. “Strengthening rural characteristics， sustainable development and protection， and the restoration of rural landscapes are the key goals of the designation，” Luo Shugang， Minister of Culture and Tourism， said at a national conference in Chengdu， southwest Chinas Sichuan Province.
An exemplary village
Many villages have recently become popular weekend getaways for tourists. In the fi rst half of 2019， 1.51 billion Chinese urban dwellers chose rural areas as their travel destinations， up 10.2 percent year on year. As a result， tourism has become a new driver for rural areas to vitalize the local economy and protect cultural， architectural and ecological diversity.
Agritainment， a farm destination for urban people to experience country life， used to be the major model of rural tourism in China. It appealed to urban tourists with low-cost packages including meals， lodgings and sightseeing， despite poor services. Now， villages are rolling out new measures—country-style premium homestays—in order to break away from this outdated model.
The shift has received enormous attention from the MCT. Emphasizing the role of homestays in rural tourism， the ministry has called for an eco-friendly approach that adapts to local conditions and retains local fl avor in developing the industry. “Country homestays should not become a clone of hotels in cities or a refurbishment of agritainment，” Luo said.
In Xijingyu， 40 percent of villagers have directly or indirectly participated in the tourism industry through the local governments Optimal Farm program， which encourages villagers to turn their rustic and spare farmhouses into boutique homestays.
For villagers who volunteer to participate in the program， the government offers interest-free loans， free redesign and remodeling of old farmhouses， and other supporting services. Funds have also been allocated to improve the public infrastructure and the landscape of the village.
Zhou Zhifu， a villager in Xijingyu， and his wife run a 10-room homestay， which opened in 2016. “Tourists love our refurbished house that preserves Xijingyus distinctive architectural style. Our income has tripled since we transformed our old farmhouse into a premium country-style homestay，” Zhou said.
Making a new living
Some 300 km away from Xijingyu， Zhonghaoyu Village in Zibo， east Chinas Shandong Province， is famous for its peach blossoms that cover the woods each spring. Once stuck in serious poverty， Zhonghaoyu turned its eye toward tourism in 2003， focusing on its ecological resources. However， many homestays operated by local farmers closed down in the following years due to poor management and price wars.
In 2011， Zhao Shengjian， a returned university graduate， set up Youyougu Tourism Development Co. in Zhonghaoyu. He invited villagers to join the company as shareholders and promised to reward them with dividends according to the money and manpower they invested. Upon the villagers agreement， all the homestays in the village are priced and managed by the company. In addition， homestay staff is regularly trained by professionals.
