Rural planners help build beautiful countryside in S China’s Guangxi

Since 2019, Beiliu city in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has vigorously pushed forward rural construction and improved the rural living environment through better layout planning based on local realities.

Photo show Hecun village, Xinxu township, Beiliu city. (Photo/The Civilization Office of Beiliu city)

So far, 22 townships in the city have employed rural planners to plan the layout in its 118 administrative villages. The city has also encouraged villages' officials and voluntary workers to become involved in the entire process of the layout planning by tapping into local culture, including farming and folk culture, and gaining the support of locals.

In Hecun village, Xinxu township, Beiliu city, farmlands, roads, and ditches form a picturesque line, and some old houses have been turned into facilities including studios and bases for literary and artistic creation, thanks to the help of rural planners.

“Layout planning is very important,” said Chen Jiaping, Party chief of the village. “Most importantly, we have to draw up a plan according to local conditions. We need to take into account the integration of industries such as rural tourism and modern agriculture, and create the ideal environment for living and working without destroying the ecology. It’s a rural planner who helps us realize these goals,” Chen added.

Bao Guozhi is the rural planner whom Chen is referring to. Bao provided whole-process services and guidance on the layout planning of the village after conducting on-site investigations. “To make the layout planning successful, we have to retain each village’s characteristics, and learn farmers’ needs while respecting their wishes first,” Bao said.

Hecun village also brought in a bag plant, providing jobs for over 70 villagers. “My village has become beautiful and has a plant. I earn over 4,000 yuan ($581.72) at the plant every month. I don’t need to work outside the village,” said Tan Zhi, a villager who used to work in Dongguan city, south China’s Guangdong Province.

Beiliu city has combined village planning with industrial development, factoring in the building of facilities for people's wellbeing as well as the future development of industries including culture and tourism, rural logistics, and e-commerce. Currently, the city has brought in more than 100 enterprises, which will help more villagers boost their incomes.