Art boosts rural vitalization in Xuancheng, E China's Anhui

Photo shows installation artworks in Xicun village, Ningguo city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo courtesy of the publicity department of CPC Ningguo municipal committee)

Multiple traditional villages in Xuancheng city, east China's Anhui Province, have transformed from obscurity into popular tourist destinations thanks to an artistic revitalization effort.

Six years ago, Xuancheng began infusing art into rural development efforts in villages like Xicun in Gangkou township, Ningguo city, a county-level city under administration of Xuancheng. The aim was to use local traditions and customs to boost rural areas, empower local industries and improve living conditions. Three years later, the program expanded to over 20 villages.

Today, Xuancheng has piloted the "art village" concept in over 85 traditional villages, with Xicun serving as a prime example of how art can drive rural revitalization.

"Xicun was little known to the outside world before 2016," said villager Xu Xinhong. "Now its ubiquitous art elements attract an increasing number of tourists."

In Xicun, art and fashion seamlessly blend into everyday life. The village hosts an array of vibrant artistic venues, a performance stage in the shape of a giant guitar, a photography corridor, bamboo sculptures in various shapes, and vivid wall paintings that evoke childhood memories.

After being designated a "beautiful courtyard" pilot zone in 2016, Xicun invited artists to paint murals, which quickly became a draw. On weekends, cars queue for kilometers to enter.

According to Wang Derun, the leader of the village's flower-drum opera troupe, performances of the local opera are held every weekend at a theater in the village. Wang proudly noted that the theater is often packed with spectators during major performances.

Photo shows handicrafts integrating flower-drum opera masks and ceramic art in Xicun village, Ningguo city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo courtesy of the publicity department of CPC Ningguo municipal committee)

The troupe also offers flower-drum opera experience programs, inviting young people to discover the captivating charm of traditional culture.

To sustain its artistic bloom, Xicun built Anhui's first "idyllic complex" starting in 2017, with 20 farming-themed sculpture sites. Vacant houses were repurposed into nostalgic attractions like 1980s-style photo studios and VR halls.

Additionally, Xicun has built an artistic brand that hinges on photography. In October 2018, a national photography exhibition on rural China, the first of this kind, was held in the village. During the activity, Xicun was designated "the first photography village in China."

Xicun has earned several distinctions: it was recognized as the first art village in China, the first village to have a village-level flower-drum opera troupe, the first village livestream and internet celebrity incubation base, the first village designated as a 3A-level scenic area, and the first village to focus on night tours in Anhui Province.

Art has brought a new look to Xicun and attracted more young people to devote themselves to its development. The once "hollow village," which previously suffered a big loss of its young workforce, is getting back its hustle and bustle.

In February last year, Li Yichun visited Xicun and was captivated by its lucid waters and lush mountains. Li, who had been engaged in hotel management for over a decade, invested 6 million yuan ($847,290) to build a bed-and-breakfast hotel.

"My hotel started trial operation in October last year. During this year's five-day May Day holiday, my hotel had a full house of guests every day," Li said.

With its picturesque rural scenery, exquisite B&B hotels, and diverse agritainment facilities, Xicun has rapidly developed its cultural tourism industry. Offering a variety of visitor experiences, the village welcomes over 300,000 tourists annually during peak seasons and generates more than 6 million yuan in annual tourism revenue.