China News Service, Wuyuan, Jiangxi, November 5th. Question: From hollow village to sample of shared wealth. Answer sheet of Huangling where private enterprises empower rural revitalization.
Author Wang Jian Jiang Tao
After autumn, the forests in the Wuyuan mountainous area of Jiangxi are completely dyed. In the ancient village of Huangling on the cliff, red peppers and corns are spread out layer by layer on bamboo plaques and scattered on the drying racks of ancient Hui-style dwellings. During this year’s National Day holiday, more than 150,000 people visited this small mountain village to experience the beauty of the “autumn sun”.
It is hard to imagine that the ancient village, which is now crowded with tourists and has been selected as the "Best Tourist Village" by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, was a hollow village that was gradually declining more than ten years ago.
Due to its location in the mountains, scarcity of cultivated land, and inconvenient drinking water, more than 180 villagers in Huangling went out to work in large numbers. On the eve of development, there were only 68 permanent households in the ancient village. The old houses are in disrepair, the countryside is becoming increasingly deserted, and the development of the village has almost stagnated.
Change begins with a "downhill" movement.
In 2009, Wuyuan Huangling Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd. launched the protective development of Huangling Ancient Village. The local area has innovatively implemented the model of "replacing old villages with new villages and replacing old houses with new houses" to promote overall relocation: the ancient villages on the mountain are protected and revitalized as cultural tourism carriers, and the villagers are relocated as a whole to the Huangling New Village with complete supporting facilities at the foot of the mountain.
From the beginning of the planning, this company put the interests of villagers at the core, integrating ancient village protection, industrial cultivation, and increasing villagers' income, to avoid the common dilemma of "enterprises making money while villagers watch" in rural tourism development.
For more than ten years, Huangling has built a unique cultural tourism brand based on the millennium-old folk custom of "sun-autumn". The scenic spot was put into trial operation in 2014, and the "autumn sun" landscape quickly emerged. Since then, the scenic spot has continued to enrich its business formats, delving deeply into Anhui culture and farming folk customs, and breaking out of the homogenization dilemma of "one thousand villages, one thing" in rural tourism. The dividends brought by the prosperous industry continue to favor local villagers. Jobs, business stalls, and entrepreneurial opportunities are shared with villagers through multiple channels.
According to Cao Jinzhong, president of Wuyuan Huangling Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd., the scenic spot currently has more than 800 employees, more than 90% of whom are local employees, and it pays more than 2 million yuan in resource usage fees to surrounding villages every year. In the early planning stage, the company designed a mechanism to connect farmers with farmers: "We promise that at least one villager from each household in Huangling Village can enter the scenic spot for employment. In addition, convenience markets have been built at two exits of the scenic spot, and the stalls will be given priority to local villagers for independent operation."
Local villager Wang Xinghua, who is called "Sister Xinghua" by the locals, returned to her hometown in 2013 to work in the scenic spot. Because he is responsible for "autumn sunbathing", he often takes photos for the media and tourists, and has become a well-known "Internet celebrity" in the village.
"Sister Xinghua" said that Huangling used to be a closed mountain village, and all supplies had to be carried on the back. Now when the villagers come back, they either work in the scenic spot or open a farmhouse or B&B nearby, which can not only earn income, but also take care of the elderly and accompany their children.
Like "Sister Xinghua", more and more villagers have transformed from migrant workers into scenic area employees, B&B shop owners, and catering operators.
Villager Cao Xiaofen is the first group of villagers to benefit. She started a diversified business at home, running a self-owned B&B, opening a snack bar, and a Hanfu shop, taking into account her livelihood and family. “Compared to working outside before, my income now has more than doubled.”
Cao Huahui, who runs a local restaurant at the entrance of the scenic spot, has witnessed the radiation effect of the development of the scenic spot. "The dividends from Huangling Scenic Area not only benefited Huangling Village, but also brought popularity to the entire Jiangwan Town, and the people in the villages on the mountain have benefited. Our generation basically worked outside in the early years. Now we start a business at home and can accompany our families every day. This is the most practical benefit."
According to Fang Zhangbao, deputy director of the United Front Work Department of the Wuyuan County Party Committee and party secretary of the County Federation of Industry and Commerce, the initial stage of Huangling development also faced difficulties such as villager relocation coordination and project implementation. During the development process, needs such as the implementation of business-friendly policies and cross-department coordination continued to exist. The Federation of Industry and Commerce organizes face-to-face exchanges between governments and enterprises on a regular basis, responds to the demands of enterprises in a timely manner, and helps enterprises solve practical problems.
After more than ten years of intensive cultivation, "Sunshine in Autumn" is no longer just a sightseeing scene, but has become a carrier for local people to "bask in" the good life. Private enterprises take root in the countryside, transforming the green waters, green mountains and ancient village culture into real income for the people, reviving the popularity of hollow villages and writing the answer to the common prosperity of rural areas under the background of Chinese modernization.
