Art injects fresh life into previously impoverished village in SW China's Guizhou

An aerial photo shows Hongjiang village in Libo county of southwest China's Guizhou Province, which has been transformed from an impoverished "hollow village" into a popular tourist destination due to art tourism initiatives. (People’s Daily Online/Tu Min)

Art has transformed Hongjiang village in southwest China's Guizhou Province from an impoverished community into a popular tourist destination featuring intangible cultural heritage, artistic works and facilities, a spirit of craftsmanship, all with strong ecological performance.

Before 2016, Hongjiang village was a typical "hollow village," a term used to refer to a village where most young people have migrated outwards for work, leaving behind only the elderly and children. In 2017, a group of both Chinese and foreign artists came to the village, injecting fresh life into the impoverished village by decorating disused old houses with new artworks.

Thanks to these efforts, Hongjiang village has established diversified and sustainable industries, with eco-agriculture as forming the foundation and culture and arts education as the main tourist draw.

Digging deep into local ethnic cultures, industrial development, the village has boosted the development of new business forms, tapping into the potential of artistic study tours, agritourism, and camping.

Today, Hongjiang village receives nearly 20,000 tourists and student visitors a year, with tourism projects increasing the village's annual collective income by more than 200,000 yuan ($2,866.4), providing jobs for nearly 60 local villagers.