Chengyang's green development combining art and rural revitalization

Teams in 1,000-year-old settlement have turned fortunes around to create tourist treasure

Chengyang, a 1,000-year-old village on the banks of Dongqian Lake in Yinzhou district, Ningbo, Zhejiang province, has embarked on a green development path that prioritizes novelty, aesthetics and humanity, officials said.

The path has been paved thanks to the local government's efforts to combine art with rural revitalization.

Chengyang is located in a national tourist resort about 35 minutes' drive from Ningbo Lishe International Airport and less than 50 minutes from the city's downtown area.

The village of 910 people and 360 households has gain its reputation not just for its new-found artistry but also its fresh air which has a negative oxygen ion content of 1,475 ions per cubic centimeter.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Chengyang has a unique natural endowment and profound cultural background, local officials said.

The village is home to many scenic spots such as an ecological forest covering 279 hectares and the 1,000-year-old Baiyun Yanxiang temple.

It also boasts one of the most famous ancient roads in Ningbo, the Tingxi River and the Yong'an Bridge built by the infamous mob boss Du Yuesheng in the early 1900s.

The public spaces in the village and some courtyards have been cleaned up and adorned with artistic works.

The humble water pots which used to be a utilitarian item in the village have been redecorated to become items needing to be photographed.

So too have many of the village's street corners, once which were littered with construction waste, now have become popular locations for selfie seekers and those wishing to post their travels onto social media. Through this artistic transformation, the village attracted many tourists during the National Day holiday last year and the Spring Festival in February.

Other popular check-in points in the village include the Tingxiling Trail, the Xingyuan Book Bar under the 1,000-year-old Ginkgo Tree and the "farmer's hat" in Cixiao Park. Kicking off with a striking drum and dragon dance, the first Chengyang Life Art Festival opened on April 9.

The event acted not just as a summary of the village's current achievements, but also a preview of Chengyang's long road of development to come in the future.

As an initiator, organizer and participant, Cong Zhiqiang introduced in detail the motivation and process of Chengyang's artistic transformation at the opening ceremony.

Cong described the art of Chengyang as a treasure and highly praised every villager he had met in the transformation process.

"As a village designer, I feel that you have to work with the people or you'll become a lonely fan," Cong said.

"I hope more people will come to the village and I hope to help the village grow."

Yao Min, deputy dean of the Shanghai Urban and Rural Architectural Design Institute, delivered a speech detailing how art and rural revitalization can play an important role in bringing prosperity to areas that have previously struggled.

"Design can make a village or township better, and art can empower rural revitalization.

"If the nation is to rejuvenate, the countryside must be rejuvenated and the duality of urban and rural areas must be rebalanced,"Yao said. "Villages are the source and foundation of traditional culture, and also an important carrier of history. Art revitalizes rural construction and promotes cultural inheritance," Yao added.

"The combination of art and rural revitalization is not only an important manifestation of cultural self-confidence, but also a base for the healthy development of society and the economy."

Combining art and rural revitalization is not only a sustainable path, but also a win-win solution that fully stimulates villagers' sense of belonging as well as their initiative to participate in the process, Yao said. "When art meets the countryside, the focus is not on art, but on regaining the villagers' confidence in local culture."