Rural areas are given a modern makeover

Minimal pollution

In 2011, Zhu visited the Moganshan Mountains in Zhejiang province. There, he discovered that because the area's water source was designated as a protected zone by the authorities, all livestock and farming practices in the vicinity were outlawed in order to minimize pollution.

Many people in the affected areas who had relied primarily on farming to make a living now had no means to earn an income. Many young people soon left their homes to work in the cities, leaving their elderly parents behind. Many homes were left vacant. Swathes of land were left untouched.

The scene sparked an idea in Zhu's head. In 2012, he decided to use his money to lease an abandoned farm from the local government for 20 years. With his 8-million-yuan investment, Zhu went about introducing reforms in the village, repurposing old houses and combining them to form a 13-room boutique hotel. Nearby, he grew corn, sweet potatoes and a variety of other vegetables without the use of pesticides.

But Zhu was still not satisfied with the progress. He knew that almost all the traditional industries in Moganshan, including those that harvest bamboo as a raw construction material, were not going to develop any more. To ensure that the village remained relevant in the modern era, Zhu renovated an abandoned silkworm farm at the foot of the mountain, turning it into a creative arts space featuring traditional handicrafts such as making cotton shoes, as well as amenities including a modern cafe, a tea house, a bicycle club, a bookstore, a small theater and design studio.

"I am looking for ways to entice more people to come back and stay in the countryside. I want to build a bridge to promote interaction between cities and countryside. Rural reform needs government policy support, but it also needs contributions from individuals," says Zhu, who is also involved in several other village reform projects and has set up the Shanghai Urban and Countryside Interactive Development Center.

Inputs from locals

Before creating the blueprint for his new village reform project in Jijiadun, Kunshan, Jiangsu province, Zhu talked to most of the 142 families in the area to find out what were the things they hoped to retain. This is because he believes it is imperative that, regardless of how beautiful the new architecture in the area is, traditions have to be kept alive.

Echoing his views is Xue Rongquan. The 75-year-old farmer wants to keep the old fishing boat that he had since he was 15.

The farmer also says: "When the reforms are completed next year, I'd like to come back and help build up a farming team to plant rice."

Zhu's efforts have not gone unnoticed by the authorities. After all, the Chinese government has in recent times been emphasizing on the need to fully utilize empty houses and vacant land to develop traditional handicrafts, agriculture and tourism. This year's No 1 Central Government Document, the first policy document jointly released by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, again focuses on agriculture, rural community and farming-related issues.

Together with the local government in Jijiadun, Zhu will also be setting up a gallery comprising old items belonging to many of the old farmers, such as a century-old millstone and brick sculptures in the shape of tigers. One of the goals of this project is to draw more visitors from the cities to learn about the local culture and way of life.

"Young people from these rural areas don't necessarily need to migrate to big cities. With such reforms, land will be valuable and their lives can actually be more comfortable than in urban areas. In the near future, more and more people from the cities will also be willing to relocate to villages, be it to change their lifestyles or to run businesses," says Zhu.