Two Ningbo villages listed as provincial models for rural revitalization

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

The Zhejiang provincial government unveiled 10 innovative measures relating to rural revitalization on Nov 29, and Ningbo's Gejia village and Tengtou village were listed as provincial models for their innovative approaches to the issue.

Gejia village has been recognized for pursuing rural revitalization through art.

The village, located in Ninghai county, has taken on a completely new look after an art design campaign initiated last April by Cong Zhiqiang, an associate art professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing.

Local villagers were encouraged to renovate their surroundings using art, and nearly all decorations in the village were made by the residents themselves, including flower pots, benches, lamps, and pavilions. The village has since emerged as a popular rural tourism destination.

Meanwhile, Tengtou village in Fenghua district is known for promoting coordinated development with surrounded villages.

For example, over the past five years, the village has been working to develop "all-in-one" tourism by integrating travel resources with seven nearby villages.

In August 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Zhejiang provincial government inked a cooperation agreement to develop Zhejiang into a demonstration province for rural revitalization.

Tengtou village in Ningbo's Fenghua district. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]