[Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Special Line] "Slash" Taiqing renovates stone houses to develop rural cultural and creative industries
China News Service, Fuzhou, March 30th: "Slash" Taiqing renovates stone houses to develop rural cultural and creative industries
Author Zheng Jiangluo
Unique stone houses, renovated terraces, original cafes, 24-hour unmanned shops... In Gushi Village, Huangqi Town, Lianjiang County, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, a stone house was transformed into a new internet celebrity "check-in point" ——Furen calls for cultural and creative bases to attract tourists.
Gushi Village is the third stop for Taiwanese "slash" youth Chen Baijing to come to the mainland. Chen Baijing is from Taipei and has multiple identities such as director, teacher, musician, and rural construction mentor.
In 2018, Chen Baijing came to the mainland alone to pursue his rural cultural and creative dream. Now he has a cultural and creative team called Fu Ren Calling that brings together 18 rural creative talents from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. In the past six years, he has participated in rural revitalization and transformation projects in Xiaobei Village, Dongxiang Island, Pingtan, and Nanyan Village, Tantou Town, Fu'an City, Ningde.
In January 2023, Chen Baijing participated in the renovation of Gushi Village, Huangqi Town, Lianjiang County, Fuzhou City. (Photo provided by interviewee)
While in Taiwan, Chen Baijing was engaged in computer and multimedia-related work, and "also witnessed the birth and rise of Taiwan's cultural and creative industry." Chen Baijing said that in the mainland, there is a vast world and a lot to accomplish.
As a cultural and creative instructor, he hopes to bring his cultural and creative experience in Taiwan here to help revitalize rural Fujian based on local conditions.
Ancient Stone Village faces the Matsu Islands across the sea. It has nearly 90 ancient stone houses with a construction area of about 12,000 square meters. It preserves the similar stone house characteristics of Huangqi and Matsu.
"I see that the culture of the fishing villages along the coast here is well preserved. I hope that with my expertise, I can use original brands to promote the countryside and promote collective economic benefits." Chen Baijing said.
In March 2024, Gushi Village was renovated. (Photo provided by interviewee)
Chen Baijing introduced that the Fortune Call Cultural and Creative Base was transformed from the original stone house in Gushi Village and integrates cultural and creative life, food and entertainment, maker experience, and leisure park.
As a rural planner in mainland China, Chen Baijing believes that the last "one kilometer road" is particularly important. If you want to retain tourists, you need to preserve and develop traditional architecture and enrich the tourism industry.
Today, more and more Taiwanese youth choose to leave their footprints in the countryside of Fujian. According to statistics, there are more than 130 Taiwanese architects and cultural creative teams and more than 450 Taiwanese rural construction and rural creative talents, providing tourism planning, design creativity and other services to more than 400 villages and communities in Fujian.
Chen Baijing said that he has his own cultural and creative coffee, milk tea and other brands, and hopes to introduce his brands to rural areas. At the same time, combined with the characteristic stone houses of Gushi Village, we will continue to improve youth hostels, homestays and other businesses to create a one-stop tourism platform that integrates food, drink, entertainment and accommodation.
Chen Baijing not only brought cultural creativity into Gushi Village to create a full-scale tourism, but also brought Taiwan's vanilla, lily and other crops to the local area for trial planting, hoping to increase the income of local farmers in the future.
He hopes to guide villagers to plant these high-unit-price items in the future, and even develop them into an herb garden. “We not only use it to make herbal tea drinks, but we can also beautify the countryside.”
With the resumption of the "Little Three Links" passenger route from Huangqi to Matsu, Chen Baijing hopes to make Gushi Village the first stop for Taiwan compatriots coming to Fujian. (over)