China News Service, Jinhua, Zhejiang, October 2. Title: 800-year-old Houwu Ancient Village in Zhejiang: Idle old houses "grow" new business formats
Author Lin Bo Sun Linru
During the National Day holiday, in the Guihuaju Calligraphy and Painting Club in Houwu Village, Yongkang City, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, several retired calligraphy and painting enthusiasts were waving their pens at the window. The fragrance of golden osmanthus floats outside the window, and the fragrance of ink curls inside the window; in the small village story cafe next door, young tourists order a cup of coffee and take photos of century-old houses...
This ancient village relies on the revitalization model of "one house, one feature, one house, one business type" to help the old houses get out of the idle dilemma and burst out new vitality for rural revitalization in the blend of tradition and new trends.
In September 2026, a scene at the Story Cafe in Houwucun, Zhejiang. Photo by Lin Bo
Houwucun was built during the Jiading period of the Southern Song Dynasty, and its cultural heritage has lasted for 800 years. There are more than 100 ancestral halls, halls and ancient houses from the Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China. The ancient building complex is well preserved and has a clear pattern.
After hundreds of years of ups and downs, ancient buildings, ancient trees, and legends have coexisted and formed the unique rural background of Houwu Village. With abundant resources of ancient houses, how to "come alive" the sleeping old houses has become a core issue in the rural development of Houwucun.
In this regard, Wu Yichun, secretary of the Party branch of Houwucun, led the village to explore revitalization paths according to local conditions, abandoning the "one-size-fits-all" development model, digging into the historical origins and cultural heritage of each ancient house, and accurately matching the characteristic business formats.
In September 2026, a scene in Houwucun, Yongkang, Zhejiang. Photo by Lin Bo
"Every ancient house in Houwu Village has its own story. We adhere to the principle of 'one house, one rhyme', relying on the original context of the old house to implant new business formats and let the old building carry new functions." Wu Yichun introduced that the famous Guihuaju ancient residence in the village has been a house with a prosperous literary style. The village has taken advantage of the trend to build the Guihuaju Calligraphy and Painting Club, gathering calligraphy and painting enthusiasts from all over the place to create and carry out study activities.
At the same time, the village is steadily promoting the construction of diversified business formats such as gemstone pavilions, specialty teahouses, and baking experiences, taking into account cultural inheritance and leisure experience, and creating a differentiated rural cultural tourism scene.
The revitalization of old houses also attracts young people to return to their hometowns to start businesses, injecting new vitality into the countryside. "I have always longed for a slow life in the countryside. When I saw a large number of old houses in the village idle, I came up with the idea of building an old house cafe." Wang Zhenzhen, the manager of the first cafe in the village, said frankly that opening the shop was not only to fulfill her dream of a small shop, but also to provide a leisure gathering place for the young people in the village. "In the past, most young people in the village stayed at home alone, but now everyone often comes here to sit and chat. The village has added fireworks and retained youthful vitality."
The unique texture of the symbiosis of old and new has won the favor of young people. Yu Hongguo, a tourist from Jinhua, visited Houwu for the first time and was deeply attracted by the tranquility and elegance of the ancient village. "Compared to commercial coffee shops in urban areas, the antique atmosphere here is irreplaceable. The fragrance of osmanthus, the tranquility of the ancient houses, and the beautiful scenery everywhere can make people relax." (End)
