Chongqing promotes the protection and development of traditional villages, and Yangjiacao Village is reborn——

A century-old village "rejuvenates its youth"

　　Our reporter Li Zenghui and Liu Xinwu

　　Yellow walls and green tiles are arranged in an orderly manner. When walking in the traditional village of Yangjiacao, Luoqi Town, Yubei District, Chongqing City, flowers are in bloom and your eyes are full of spring. As soon as the traditional village protection and development project was completed, the first batch of tourists came here to visit. "It's far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, where you can relax and feel homesick," tourist Ms. Liu said cheerfully.

　　Time flies and the world changes. Yangjiacao Village lies quietly in the valley of Mingyue Mountain. In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, the Yang family from Xiaogan, Hubei Province migrated here. Yangjiacao has experienced nearly 400 summers and colds. However, because it is surrounded by mountains, the economy here was weak, the facilities were poor, the roads were bumpy, and the houses were "old". At one time, there were only more than 10 households left in the 78 households.

　　In August 2020, the Chongqing Municipal Housing and Construction Commission launched the Yangjiacao traditional village protection and development project to "dress up" it. Today, the ancient village is "rejuvenated" and ushering in a new life. Some farmers have returned to the village one after another, and some are actively preparing to run B&Bs. The once quiet mountain village has become lively again.

　　Design to the countryside

　　Looking for the "Orb"

　　Yangjiacao Village has a long history. In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, it was completely uninhabited. Yang Shaowen, the ancestor of the Yang family, led his family to reclaim wasteland. Since then, he has settled down and the population has gradually grown. Until the merger of the villages in 2003, Yangjiacao became part of Datianchi Village in Luoqi Town.

　　There is a trough sandwiched between two mountains, hence the name Yangjiacao. The entire village is in the shape of a "C", extending from high to low, and is composed of three groups: Shangwan, Zhongwan and Xiawan. The flat land in the middle of the village is used for farming. The stream flows through the fields from north to south, nourishing the land. The houses are built against the mountains, and the courtyards in the village are centered on cultivated land, forming courtyards one after another, combining residential and scattered living.

　　Yangjiacao has beautiful mountains and clear waters, rich natural resources and rich historical heritage. Because it is located deep in the mountains, the village has been less affected by the outside world and its style has been relatively intact. It still retains the typical traditional farming lifestyle. The paths in the village are crisscrossed and dense. The roads are paved with local stones, and the ancient trees and wells tell the story. The vicissitudes of history. Most of the houses in the village were built in the late Qing Dynasty. They maintain the characteristics of traditional Ming and Qing Bayu folk houses. They conform to the terrain and are well-proportioned. They were later renovated in the 1950s and 1960s. The traditional building structure is mainly of the bucket type, with a small number of adobe houses and stone houses.

　　However, with the acceleration of urbanization, villagers have gone out to work one after another, and the villages have fallen into disrepair. The houses and roads have gradually become decayed and dilapidated. Most of the left-behind villagers plant crops with low added value such as rice and corn, and also raise some chickens, ducks, and manure. Everywhere. The ancient village has become a deserted village, as if it is about to be forgotten by the world.

　　In 2019, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development carried out the first batch of typical case studies on village design in Shandong Province and Chongqing City. A team composed of teachers Chen Wei and Hu Bin from the School of Architecture and Urban Planning of Chongqing University, and Zhao Yu, a teacher from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, conducted in-depth field investigations and found It took two full months to discover this "jewel" hidden deep in Luoqi Town. After several visits, they became acquainted with Yangjiacao. They conducted in-depth research on the style and characteristics, natural landscape, industrial foundation, historical and cultural resources, infrastructure and other aspects of Yangjiacao Village, and determined to launch a traditional village protection and restoration project here.

　　After expert review and joint review by relevant municipal departments, Yangjiacao was included in the first batch of Chongqing traditional villages in June 2020. Two months later, the "overhaul" of Yangjiacao was officially launched. Through design going to the countryside, designers and villagers participate in planning and design and rebuild their homes on site.

　　Discuss plans

　　reach consensus

　　The designers walked into the mountain village and let the villagers see the hope of rebirth of the village, and they were very excited. The villagers talked a lot and poured out various demands: demolish the old house and build a new one to make it more modern; expand the area of ​​​​their courtyard, harden and widen the road; the more modern facilities such as street lights and electrical appliances, the better... …

　　The designers scratched their heads after hearing this, "How can this be protection and development? I clearly thought it was demolition!" They explained that to renovate such a century-old village, we must respect the historical tradition, adhere to the priority of protection, preserve the pastoral scenery, and let people see it. Gotta see nostalgia.

　　But the villagers didn't understand, "What's the point of renovating it? After living in a wooden house all my life, don't you just want to live in a new house?" said villager Li Huazhen.

　　After discussing with town and village cadres, the designers decided to focus on protection, while listening to the reasonable opinions of the villagers, and taking into account daily life during the renovation to make the villagers' lives more comfortable.

　　Once the policy is set, it mainly depends on its implementation. In order to advance the work smoothly, the design team began to work on the villagers, making breakthroughs from the point, and then gradually advancing from the surface. Villager Li Huazhen was one of the first "breakthroughs".

　　Everyone visited the house repeatedly to persuade, and came up with a compromise plan - the exterior should be kept as it was before, and the inside should be renovated as much as possible. "The government will help you pay the big share, but you only contribute 10% of the money. Isn't this a good opportunity? Otherwise, there won't be this store anymore after passing this village!" The village cadre's words moved Li Huazhen. Although she was still hesitant, after reading the design drawings, she decided to "give it a try."

　　Unexpectedly, the effect was even better than Li Huazhen imagined. From the outside, the wood siding still looks "antique," but it has been repainted and there are almost no signs of repair. The interior is bright and transparent, with wooden beds and wooden tables still in use, but air conditioners and TVs are all available. In the kitchen, a modern atmosphere is felt, and the gas stove and range hood have been installed.

　　What makes Li Huazhen even more happy is the renovation of the toilets. The outdoor dry toilets have been changed into indoor modern toilets. "In the past, we had to run outside to use the toilet. The children didn't dare to go at night, let alone in winter!" Li Huazhen felt happy thinking that her children and grandchildren would love to go home to visit them more.

　　"It's really much more convenient after the renovation!" With Li Huazhen's demonstration, the villagers put aside their concerns and joined the renovation plan one after another.

　　"Traditional rural settlements need to find a balance between inheritance and development, and combine protection with development." Chen Wei believes that under the background of comprehensive rural revitalization, more and more designers are investing in rural construction. Our designs should be conducive to retaining Aboriginal people.

　　The running-in between the designer and the villagers runs through the entire process of Yangjiacao protection and restoration - the villagers requested that the courtyard dam be paved with granite and smooth, but the design team wanted to restore the old stone slabs, and finally chose a mixture of granite and old stone slabs; They requested that the roof be replaced with new tiles, but the designers wanted to reuse the old blue tiles. Finally, new tiles were covered under the eaves and the old tiles were moved to the roof. Some villagers asked for floor tiles inside the house and skylights on the roof, and the designers tried their best to satisfy them.

　　We discuss the design together and participate in the construction together. There were many masons, carpenters, and masons in Yangjiacao, and they all participated in the construction. Village representative Yang Yichang and other six people were invited to serve as "supervisors" to ensure the quality of the project.

　　It took two years for designers and villagers to find the greatest common denominator and reach a consensus. Yangjiacao finally "grew" into something that both designers and villagers were satisfied with.

　　Keep the nostalgia

　　Growing in popularity

　　In April 2022, Yangjiacao was renovated while retaining its original flavor as much as possible and reappeared in front of the world. The mountains, water, forests, fields, lakes and villages outline an idyllic scene.

　　Traditional elements such as ancient trees, ancient wells, small green tiles, and bamboo fences are still there, but the buried lotus pond has been renovated, the stone road next to the courtyard has been mottled with weeds, flowers are surrounding the front and back of the house, and the jujube trees at the intersection are glowing. Vitality, from a distance, looks like a beautiful picture, with villagers carrying farm tools on their shoulders and stepping on bluestones, and the crisp sound gradually flows to the fields... As one of the first traditional villages in Chongqing, the houses in Yangjiacao have been repaired and renovated. , reproducing the regional characteristics of traditional Bayu folk houses.

　　The infrastructure and ecological environment have also been comprehensively improved. The village has a sewage pipe network, street lights, leisure trails, garbage collection points, public toilets, parking lots, etc. The living conditions of the villagers have been greatly improved.

　　The better the environment, the more popular it becomes. "The air here is fresh, and other conditions are no worse than those in the city. We live comfortably." Yang Zhenghua, a villager in his 70s and his wife moved back from the city, looking happy.

　　Tang Yangchun, a citizen, was attracted by the scenery of Yangjiacao and rented a house here for his mother to take care of in her old age and find homesickness in the beautiful countryside.

　　At present, the number of permanent villagers has increased to more than 30 households, and there are also citizens visiting everywhere. The fireworks that have lasted for hundreds of years are returning, and happy smiles often hang on the faces of the villagers.

　　Material life is more convenient, and cultural quality is also improving. In the past, the village was dirty and messy, and villagers often littered. Nowadays, the village is like a scenic spot, and villagers are sometimes "embarrassed to throw away garbage even when they are holding it."

　　"The protection of Yangjiacao is only the foundation, and development is the purpose. Its overall planning and design is based on creating a happy life for villagers, exploring and utilizing pastoral farming culture and traditional residential resources, promoting the integrated development of agriculture and tourism, and creating a beautiful rural home." The designer. Wang Yinan said that he hopes to use the natural environment and humanistic nostalgia of traditional villages to attract capital and talents to return home, turn green waters and green mountains into mountains of gold and silver, and allow villagers to share the fruits of development.

　　To continue writing a chapter of development on the basis of protection, the local area is actively planning and taking action. Zuo Qizheng, secretary of the Party branch of Datianchi Village, said that Yangjiacao is now developing industries such as alpine vegetables, Chinese medicinal materials, and cold-water fish, and promoting rural tourism, which will allow more villagers to earn money at home and make their pockets bigger.

　　The development of Yangjiacao was not achieved in a day. "Yangjiacao should make full use of its own advantages according to its own characteristics and local conditions." Xiao Yacheng, executive director of the Institute of Rural Revitalization Strategy of Southwest University, suggested that the site selection of traditional village protection projects should pay attention to both protection and development to stimulate its endogenous power. , so that villagers can share more development results and achieve better protection. (People's Daily Overseas Edition)