China News Service, Ningbo, February 1 (Reporter Lin Bo) "This is my 20th year in mainland China. In the new year, I hope to continue to use art to help promote rural prosperity." As a participant in rural revitalization in mainland China, from Wu Lixing, associate professor of the Department of Art and Design at the College of Liberal Arts of Nankai University in Taiwan, has just finished his work in a village in Zhejiang and officially started the Spring Festival holiday mode.
Wu Lixing was born in Taiwan. Under the influence of his parents, he has been full of yearning for the mainland since he was a child. In 2004, he came to the mainland from Taiwan and studied for a doctorate at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. After graduation, he chose to stay in mainland China and become an educator in the art field.
Since settling in the mainland, Wu Li has traveled all over the country and come into contact with different cultures, scenery and people. The customs and customs from all over the world have not only nourished his soul, but also given him the idea of using the knowledge he has learned to help rural communities. Thoughts of opulence.
Wu Lixing led the team to inspect Lishui rural public spaces. Photo provided by interviewee
"Integrating art and rural life can rejuvenate the countryside's endogenous power, promote economic development, and inject new vitality and hope into rural revitalization." Wu Lixing said and did the same.
In October 2020, Wu Lixing used art to empower the village in Luojiakeng Village, Ninghai County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, so that the countryside can "share beauty" and achieve "shared wealth".
At that time, under the guidance of Wu Lixing, the idle objects in the village were renovated and the walls were beautified using materials such as stones, dead branches, and petals. The abandoned courtyard was transformed into a collection of calligraphy and painting creation, stone painting, and dead stone painting. The "Luo Zai Hua Hai" experience center has strong cultural connotation and nostalgia, such as branch landscaping.
From an economically weak "pig-raising village" to a tourist internet celebrity village, Luojiakeng Village has changed beyond just its appearance.
Wu Lixing said: "This practice shows how art and design can improve the rural environment and inspire villagers' innovative spirit and cultural confidence, which is very important for rural revitalization and economic development."
Since then, Wu Lixing has led students to go deep into villages in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Beijing, Yunnan, Guizhou and other places, using art to help the villages prosper.
In October 2022, at the Fifth Cross-Strait Rural Revitalization Forum held in Ningbo, Wu Lixing, as a "sharer", told the guests his "landing" innovation story. Unexpectedly, it attracted the attention of many people, and even more He has received invitations from many places, hoping that he will use art to help rural development.
"2023 is a busy year. My team and I mainly carry out resident work in villages in Beijing, Ninghai, Qingtian, Jinyun and other places." Wu Lixing said with a smile, "Appearance at the Fifth Cross-Strait Rural Revitalization Forum" ”, which built a broader platform for the promotion of his rural construction concept, and was therefore invited to start his village design work in Lishui.
Take Hongfuqian Village, Qingtian County, Lishui City, as an example. The village not only has a rich and diverse dragon boat culture, but also has many craftsmen who make dragon boats.
"Every ordinary villager is a participant and promoter of dragon boat culture." Based on the characteristics of the village, Wu Lixing and his team injected the villagers' sincerity for the dragon boat culture into the design, turning the "dragon" element into IP , become internet celebrities, use visual effects to expand cultural appeal, and make the natural nature of the countryside the best carrier for art to reside.
"What we do is mainly the planning and design of rural public spaces and the creation of villagers' courtyard stories and courtyard economy. Based on the historical heritage and industrial characteristics of the countryside, we design rural IP and build our own characteristics." Wu Lixing said.
The villagers of Majia Village in Ninghai County warmly embraced Wu Lixing. Photo provided by interviewee
In his view, revitalizing the countryside through art requires perseverance. In 2023, Wu Lixing also took his team back to Ninghai to learn about the development of the villages he had designed.
"I was very touched when I returned to Ninghai. The villagers kept holding my hand, hoping that I would go to the village again and make some new designs." Looking at the transformed countryside, Wu Lixing said frankly that he was full of a sense of accomplishment and happiness. feel.
During his twenty years in the mainland, Wu Lixing deeply felt that the mainland had nurtured him with "infinite possibilities", allowing him to open up a new territory in his life here. He also hopes to cultivate the villagers' enthusiasm with more like-minded friends. Action, creativity, aesthetics, self-confidence, service and entrepreneurship, so as to achieve the goal of revitalizing villages and getting rich. (over)