As part of the three months international journalists currently on study tour in China have visited Xinzhuang village last week.
The visit allowed the journalist including a journalist from Solomon Islands to learn about some of important lessons about this old village continue to promote tourism.
Not only that but this historic old village was able to transform itself over time to be self reliant and become a model village where visitors continue to visit it.
Introduction to Xinzhuang village
Basic information of Xinzhuang village
- Village overview
Xinzhuang village is located in the eastern part of Xingshou Town, 2 kilometres from the town centre and 22 kilometres from Changping District’s urban area, adjacent to the Jingmi Diversion Canal to the north.
The village covers an area of 1.74 square kilometres, with the settlement area occupying 0.23 square kilometres in an east-west rectangular layout.
The current permanent population is 1,883 people. Following the 20-caharacter policy for rural vitalisation, Xinzhuang Village has vigorously developed leisure-oriented eco-agricultural tourism. Through comprehensive planning, it has created an integrated rural industrial complex combining tourism, catering, homestays and fruit-picking, realising its beautiful vision of becoming a ‘Nature of Classroom, Wonderful Strawberry Xinzhuang” where the future rural life can be seen.
- Characteristics
“Education for Village Revitalization” and “Eco-friendly Village Revitalisation” are the two defining features of Xinzhuang Village.
In terms of education-driven revitalisation, In July 2012, the private educational institution Xiangshang School, guided by the philosophy of nature-based education, took root in Xinzhuang Village. Parents of the students gradually moved from the city to Xinzhuang Village and surrounding areas to accompany their children, becoming new villagers and innovators. Over time, this fostered a strong momentum for cultural and educational revitalisation in the village.
Regarding the eco-friendly revitalization, Xinzhuang Village is a pioneer in waste classification in Beijing. In March 2016, seven individuals, including Tang Yingying, a parent from Xiangshan Schoo, formed an environmental protection group in the village. Together with the village committee, they led both longtime and new residents in initiatives such as “Clean Village” and “Plastic-free Campaign”, promoting the rural waste-sorting model of “two bins and two boxes”. Over the past eight years of implementing waste classification, the village has refined practical operable and scalable measures like “no littering on the ground” and the “two bin and two boxes sorting method” into the “Xinzhuang Model” for rural waste management. This approach has turned waste into a “golden key” for reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
- Commercial Space and Activity Operations
The village currently has 103 commercial establishments, including 94 innovative startups comprising 24 restuarants, eight homestays, 14 education and training institutions, one outdoor sports facility, seven supermarkets, five cafes, seven pastry and tea art shops, eight healthcare businesses, 14 intangible cultural heritage handicraft shops and nine agricultural enterprises, amongst others.
Xinzhuang Villages has effectively leveraged the key strategy of urban integration by hosting distinctive events such as the opening ceremony of the Eco-Friendly Market, the 10th Beijing “Strawberry Star” Awards and village galas rich in Beijing-style culture.Utilising 400 square metres of the idle construction land, the village has established a Village History Museum and an Innovation Centre, guiding the formation of the Xinzhuang Innovators Alliance to create a physical platform for collaboration.
Initiatives such as “Party members showcasing commitments, businesses demonstrating integrity, villagers highlighting family values, and new residents displaying contributions” have been implemented to foster positive atmosphere of Party-building leadership, ethical operations and civilised development. The village has also promoted the “Three Responsibilities at the Doorstep” Programme, encouraging both long-time and new residents to take ownership of environmental hygiene, green space management and neighbourhood order, thereby enhancing their sense of responsibility and participation in rural revitalisation.
By uniting forces through shared ideals, inspiring emotional resonance through cultural identity and creating an integrated village through collective vision, Xinzhuang Village has developed a “Co-Creation Ideal Village” model. This model facilitates interaction and integration between old and new residents, joint creation and sharing, complementary advantages between urban and rural elements and harmonious co-existence of agricultural and urban civilisations.
- Overview of the Maker Street
Maker Street is located in the central part of Xinzhuang Village, serving as the main east-west thoroughfare with a total length of 490 metres. It is lined with 34 residential homestead plots on both sides. New villagers and makers have spontaneously gathered along Maker Street and the surrounding alleys where uniquely-styled store-fronts have gradually transformed the area into a “trendy hotspot”, attracting numerous visitors.
In April 2024, the renovation project for Xinzhuang Maker Street was launched. The district’s “Hundreds of Thousands Project” taskforce, in collaboration with the Maker Party Branch of Xinzhuang Village, engaged with local markets to discuss storefront facade upgrades, collecting 18 hand-drafted renovation proposals. Designers from the expert team enhanced the aesthetic appeal, whilst preserving the original character, turning the sketches into construction blueprints for a comprehensive makeover of the Maker Street.
After over four months of construction, the renovation was fully completed. A total of 21 storefronts were upgraded, 1,100 square metres of road were paved with stone, and 23 manhole covers were replaced. Along the main street, flower beds were built, green spaces were landscaped and 1,764 ornamental plants were added. Additionally, 17 utility poles were removed, 288 overhead wires were cleared and public restrooms underwent interior renovation, including wall insulation and repainting.
On weekends and holidays, Xinzhuang Village continues to host themed markets on Maker Street, attracting an average of over 5,000 visitors daily. This initiative has significantly boosted villagers’ incomes, driving collective prosperity.
