Rural areas are given a modern makeover

Zhu Shengxuan is the founder of Shanghai Urban and Countryside Interactive Development Center. [Photo/China Daily]

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.