This centuries-old village is getting more and more attractive as its tourism picks up.
An artist carves a picture on a piece of bamboo in Hongchun village on July 28th, 2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
---By Tiantian
Beneath the foot of Mount Huangshan sprawls a cluster of grey-tiled and white-walled dwellings, which are acclaimed as a museum of residential architecture that could rival the Forbidden City in scale or magnificence. It is Hongcun, a faraway village down in Yixian County, east China's Anhui Province, and this centuries-old village is becoming more and more attractive as its tourism industry picks up.
Cursory glimpses and hasty snapshots while being whisked through on a packaged tour are far from enough if you want to get to know the profound Hui culture. Hui refers to the present-day city of Huangshan and Jixi County, and the exquisite architecture of the homes, ancestral halls and memorial archways is the most expressive embodiment of Hui culture. The daily rhythm of time comes to life through the elaborate carvings of wood, brick and stone that are seen everywhere, each telling a story symbolizing people's wishes for prosperity, peace and longevity.
However, what really gets deep into your soul while wandering through the time-honourned houses and alleyways may be the spiritual legacy left by the incredible businessmen known as Hui merchants. They uphold a motto of "honesty, credit, righteousness and benefits" in their business practices and such thoughts permeate the interior design, ornaments and inscriptions of the houses.
Hui merchants who had gotten rich on tea and salt trade in east China often returned to the place of their roots to build new buildings and contribute money to rejuvenating local education. That helped build the strong Confucian ethics that still endure today, visible through many of the fading scroll paintings and sculptures that have survived centuries of decay and corrosion.
The first glimpse of Hongcun, July 28th, 2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
Development of Countryside Tourism
Much has been said about this unique village since the late 1990s, especially after it became a UNESCO world heritage site in 2000. However, the story never ends in this living ancient village.
With a population of 1,000 people from about 300 households, 70 percent of villagers in Hongcun work in the tourism industry. Farmers-turned-businessmen sell a wide variety of specialties ranging from guidebooks to local pancakes with special flavors, tea, colorful clothing and its famous bamboo carvings. And many have even opened their doors to provide accommodation for visitors.
Jushan Hall, about 150 years old, was said to be the first old home that was converted into an inn inside the scenic spot. Located deep in a narrow alleyway along the village's winding water canals, the hall has made a name for itself as a rustic but comfy place to stay. And wouldn't it be nice to live one's real life in an ancient building like this, that features stunning wooden sculptures carved into the windows and furniture?
It was late at night, but customers still called in to book rooms. Hospitable host Yu Fulai answered the phone himself. He only needs to hire extra hands for the peak season and most of the time the household runs the inn on its own.
"Our hotel is quite popular as you can see here...We receive a full booking about 300 days a year and only 60 days are free...it is full today and tomorrow also," Yu Fulai said with great pride. He added that usually guests have to book at least one week in advance to secure a room.
Many people know of the inn through online posts shared by netizens, and a rather modern online booking system has helped expand business.
Yu started about ten years ago at a time when many young people left the village to make a living. However, as local tourism booms, people have come back as they realize they can earn money on their own doorsteps.
Wang Chenghui, a local, made a living in southeast China's Fujian Province for about eight years, but has now returned to Hongcun and settled down. Now in his mid-thirties and the father of a lovely child, Wang said that "home is best."
"How to say, you no longer want to go out after you have children...Home is always the best, you are freer and most important you can stay together with your family members...I would rather stay at home! You actually end up nowhere after years wandering outside...Life at home is more stable and most of the time you don't have too many expenses here..."
Like many of his neighbors, Wang is also a deft bamboo carver who can easily carve out a picturesque village scene on a piece of bamboo. He opened a store in front of his house in the alley and sell gifts. Work and life seem to blur together for the man as customers wander in the open door, which is closed only when it's time to go to bed. Could you get used to this kind of work, or this way of living? Anyhow, that's the case for many farmer-turned-businessmen there.
July and August are the prime tourist months, but this July has seen a sharp shrinkage in the number of visits following the global economic downturn and the H1N1 influenza. Consecutive days of rain have also kept some visitors away, leaving a feeling of great peace and serenity in the place.
The water canael circulating Hongcun village, July 28, 2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
Making Tourism a Pillar Industry
Tourism has become a pillar industry and the major source of income for Hongcun villagers. According to local authorities, they received 800,000 visits in 2008 and the tourism revenue surged to 40 million yuan last year.
Hongcun's tourism started in late 1980s, first run by the community of Hongcun village in the town of the same name, and later by a local travel agency in Yixian County, where the village is located. Finally, investment from Zhongkun Company helped set the ancient village's rural cultural tourism on the fast track to development.
"Tickets revenue is relatively low in 2000 at about one to two million yuan, and the figure grew to 40 million last year and an easy growth of 10 percent is predicted for this year," said Huang Chunwei, a senior official in charge of tourism in the town of Hongcun.
The annual average income of the locals has reached 6,100 yuan and is expected to grow by 15 percent year after year, said Huang.
However, the local official pointed out, tourism in Hongcun has not turned into a leading industry in a real sense because its benefits have yet to radiate to surrounding villages of the town.
Local authorities are now trying to build it into a pillar industry for the whole town by raising its public recognition and further publicizing Hongcun as a "world cultural heritage" site and "an ancient village in Chinese painting."
Huang said they are also trying to boost construction on the complementary facilities that will make the town more attractive to tourists in order to maximize on the shorter stays that are common among tourists nowadays.
The first glimpse of Hongcun, July 28th, 2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
Community Convention and Agreements
Locals will often enact protections on the cultural heritage or punishments for any damages to it, sometimes even against national laws and regulations. Another binding force is known as "Cun Gui Min Yue,' or the community convention and agreement.
It may not be legally binding, but it is effective in this ancient village, where people value such unwritten agreements and voluntarily adhere to the code.
And that's also the shared secret of the practical use of the water canals that pass by each residence in the village. It's said the Wang clan of the village allows washing in the canals only after 8 a.m. every day, and earlier hours are reserved for fetching drinking water only.
While in the nearby bamboo fields in Mukeng Village, best known as the filming site for Zhang Yimou's movie, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", people also act according to this code. Each household is assigned a patch of bamboo field its limits are marked, so no one would ever take bamboo from a neighbor.
Such simple conventions were passed down for generations and are still strictly observed today. It has magically sustained the harmonious neighborhood of the clan and kept an ever-clean environment that stuns every outsider.
What amazes visitors is taken in stride by locals. As they say, you live there for a whole life, not a single day, so everybody has the right to teach you if you destroyed the order. If you dare do something immoral, every villager will known it the next day.
It is not easy to understand this invisible, strong force that guides behavior and is generated from within to create this great balance; and that, alongside the ancient buildings, is undoubtedly the most enchanting thing about the village.
