An art project launched by Cong Zhiqiang helps Gejia village, Zhejiang province, take on a new look.[Photo by Xiao Da/China Daily]

Many designers use art to provide new looks in villages by plastering modern images on empty walls or by renovating the architecture. Cong found a way to beautify Gejia by giving full play to local residents' skills and guiding them to make artworks for the decoration of public spaces by themselves. 

People who are good at needlework were encouraged to make fabric products such as cloth dolls and those adept at using bamboo or wood were told to design artistic decorations in their courtyards. 

Today, when walking through the alleys in the village, almost all decorations at the corners, on walls and in public spaces are made by the residents, including flower pots, benches, lamps and pavilions. Local people are now a primary force in Gejia's environmental improvement. 

Ye Xianrong, a 66-year-old resident, opened an art gallery by collecting and showcasing time-honored objects and artworks made by her family members and neighbors.

Ye says the gallery that bears her name is bringing more happiness to her life.

"I don't expect to earn money from the gallery. All I want is that visitors can admire ordinary people's artworks," she says.

Ge, who didn't agree with Cong's approach at first, is now an active participant in the art project."With the improvement of the village, more people are willing to join, which is making the environment even better." 

The influence of art on Gejia went beyond Cong's expectations. 

"I always believed that every person has artistic creativity, but I didn't know that rural farmers could be so creative and imaginative," he says.

Cong and his students spent less than two months in Gejia last year, but the art project continues without them. 

"When we returned to Beijing, the villagers offered ideas in a WeChat group and we gave them advice about how to implement them,"Cong says, adding that the continuity proved that involving local residents in art designs could generate development from inside a village. 

He says he will help the residents of Gejia develop and sell some distinctive products based on the local culture in future. 

Cong's team will focus on the commercial development of tourist facilities in the village such as homestays, restaurants and entertainment spaces this year.