On October 13th, during a national conference on the protection and utilization of traditional villages held in Wuyuan, Jiangxi, Li Xuxian, the Director of Jiangxi Province’s Housing and Urban-Rural Development Department, articulated a compelling perspective: “The best way to protect traditional architecture is not to simply enshrine it as a treasure, but to infuse it with new significance to make it thrive in the modern era. This should be achieved through an organic connection between architectural forms and developmental practices.”
At the conference, Li shared insights on Jiangxi’s innovative approaches to preserving and utilizing its traditional villages. The province, known for its rich historical and cultural heritage, boasts 413 villages listed in China’s traditional village protection directory and over 20,000 traditional buildings.
Li also highlighted the substantial financial commitment made by the province, revealing that more than 300 million RMB has been allocated to this cause in recent years, with local municipalities contributing over 2.24 billion RMB. Additionally, in 2023 alone, the Jiangxi cultural and tourism department allocated over 50 million RMB for the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage in traditional villages, while the agricultural and rural department invested nearly 90 million RMB for infrastructure improvements.
He elaborated on the strategy of guiding residents to carry out compliant renovations, transforming traditional buildings into livable and business-friendly structures that maintain their historical essence while achieving modern comfort. To enhance living conditions in traditional villages, comprehensive third-party evaluations are being conducted, continuously optimizing the integration of daily life and local production activities.
Moreover, Jiangxi is integrating the cultural legacy of traditional villages with elements of red culture, village regulations, agricultural traditions, folk arts, and local customs, maximizing their cultural value. Currently, 401 traditional villages have formalized their local regulations, and 376 have compiled village histories and genealogies.
Leveraging its strengths in the VR industry, Jiangxi is also developing innovative platforms such as online museums, digital archives, and live streaming channels to enhance the visibility of traditional villages, effectively giving them a “digital wing.”
In terms of branding efforts, Jiangxi is organizing events such as treasure hunts, village runs, and village galas, creating initiatives like “Ancient Village Walks” for seasonal exploration and “Ancient Village Runs” associated with sports events. These efforts aim to bring the various cultural village themes—such as Ganpo culture, Huizhou culture, Hakka culture, Luling culture, and Lincang culture—closer to the public while evoking a sense of nostalgia and connection to the land.