Xinhua Headlines: Avant-garde art enlivens rural China amid revitalization drive

According to Qin Weidong, the village's Party chief, Caijiapo used to be a poor village, and its people earned their living by growing crops and migrating to other places in search of work. Thanks to the art experiment, the village's annual per capita income reached 21,000 yuan (about 2,947 U.S. dollars) last year, and its total annual tourism revenue exceeded 14 million yuan.

The experiment has not only brought a range of novel experiences to local residents, but has also provided an opportunity for tourists to experience a pastoral lifestyle.

The Zhongnan Mountains, the part of the Qinling Mountains in which Caijiapo is located, has been a place with a secluded culture since ancient times and an iconic presence of the Chinese people's pursuit of harmony between human and nature.

Therefore, protecting nature and retaining the beauty of the countryside during the art experiment is the primary consideration of artists and local governments. In 2021, artist Song Qun was hired by the local government as Caijiapo's "chief artistic officer," and is mainly responsible for the village's art planning and design.

"Caijiapo is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and its own beauty is a major attraction. The experiment only guides tourists to discover its original beauty," Song said. "While transforming the village, we pursue minimalism and will not change its appearance drastically."

A tourist has fun at Caijiapo Village in Huyi District, Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Sun Zhenghao)

For Liu Yongfeng, a tourist who grew up in the countryside, Caijiapo is very different from traditional Chinese villages. "Caijiapo is fashionable and modern, but it reflects the charm of the countryside, and it provides a good source of nostalgia."

By embracing the arts, Caijiapo has undergone a profound transformation, both economically and socially. Such changes are exemplary and have inspired surrounding villages to explore their own similar paths.

Xiazhuang Village, for example, has built a demonstration area to pass on new folk arts to future generations. And Liyukou Village has built a reception hall to nurture a cluster of creative cultural industries. These efforts have drawn professionals to the village and boosted local development.

Through social media, Liyukou's Two Tree Coffee attracts about 100,000 people every year. Its owner, Wang Huiting, who received her doctorate from Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, moved to the village in 2019 to start her business, driven by her love of the beauty of the Qinling Mountains.

Song Naihong, 45, a villager from Liyukou, used to run a noodle restaurant. In 2022, when the coffee store began recruiting, she signed up and learned to use computers and make coffee. Today, she is a coffee making master proficient in latte art. "As the job requires me to keep learning and encountering new things, I feel that my life is really fulfilling," she said.

Hua Peixiang, director of the rural revitalization bureau of Huyi District, which administers Caijiapo, said that rural modernization depends mainly on talent.

"Huyi has established an alliance that has attracted more than 40 young entrepreneurs to work in the countryside, and has invited five famous artists to serve as 'chief artistic officers' to guide rural construction," Hua added.

Yu Ningkai said these initiatives, which have a pioneering spirit, will foster new methods of development and blaze new paths in line with local conditions. "The development of Caijiapo is making the future of China's rural modernization more perceptible," he said.  ■

(Video reporter: Sun Zhenghao; Video editors: Yu Jiaming, Zheng Qingbin)