In China’s Fujian province, urbanization has brought about new apartments and factories. But this comes at the cost of traditional villages. To save their homes, some villagers came up with an initiative to maintain their history yet develop the economy at the same time.
Two years ago, the village was about to be demolished to pave way for city construction. But a group of youngsters has saved its destiny, as well as their own.
The village was going to be demolished. It was saved by pineapple cakes. Hundreds of tourists from nearby cities visit Yuanqian Community each day to “be a farmer” by making pineapple cakes, a local snack, and planting vegetables and feeding animals. But the Yuanqian Community’s ecological tourism, or experiential tourism, aims to do more than just make money.
“The government wanted to demolish the houses to help us develop the economy. But we had our own ideas. What if we could develop the village using our farmland, and pass traditional skills down to future generations? After all, no one wants their home removed,” said Chen Junxiong, villager of Yuanqian Community.
“The concept change took time. In general, the local government plans demolition to make room, and collect money for urban construction. Economic development was the priority then,” said Ren Guoyan,deputy director of Xiamen Municipal Commission of Urban Planning.
Chen Junxiong called on young people to go back, at least one from each household. To his surprise, many friends agreed.
“It turned out that every villager was devoted to their village. They just didn’t have a way to channel their feelings and contribution. Our initiative coincides with the government’s project of building a beautiful Xiamen. So, as a pilot village, we developed ecological tourism in cooperation with experts from Taiwan, Xiamen, and other places,” said Chen.
“There’s still room for improvement in presenting local culture and traditions, and to achieve differentiation and irreplaceability. That’s why I bring my students here. I want them to have a deeper understanding, as well as a case study,” said Pro. Ou Li, school of Cultural Industries.