Tradition and modernity are integrated, and the ancient village is reborn and looks at Dafang
When Gandong style meets modern art
This very modern building is a cafe, but it Not in a bustling city, but hidden behind a wall of wind and fire in a small village in Jiangxi.
When you walk into a coffee shop, you are likely to see an old man playing chess inside, and the cup in their hand is not tea, but coffee.
This is Dafang Village, Jinxi County, Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province.
Here, strange modern buildings and traditional Gan-style buildings are built side by side. Works by artists and villagers are displayed in the same room. The tunes of the traditional tea-picking opera are intertwined with the sound of young people’s guitars... …
The wonderful collision and blending of tradition and modernity here give this ancient village a unique temperament.
Relying on this unique temperament, Dafang Village has become a popular tourist destination, with annual tourism revenue reaching more than 5.6 million yuan.
Dafang, Dafang, Dafang
Dafang Village is located on the plain between the Wuyi Mountains and Poyang Lake. It has a history of more than 500 years.
The most common surname in the village is Li. The origin of the village's name is related to the Li family.
During the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty, the head of the Li family passed away suddenly. Since there was no arrangement for the distribution of the family property, the brothers in the family quarreled.
At this moment, a group of thieves took advantage of the Li brothers' fight for their property and stole all their property.
Family disharmony has brought about such consequences, which makes the Li brothers regretful.
Later, one of the brothers, Li Yuzhang, went on a business trip and went through all kinds of difficulties before the Li family got back on its feet.
In order not to make the same mistake again, Li Yuzhang always warned his sons that they must be tolerant and generous in their conduct, and only by having a harmonious family can everything be prosperous.
Later, when the family was separated again, the eldest son Li Yuzhong obeyed the family motto and gave up all the family property. He opened up mountains and land nearby, built a foundation and started a business, gradually forming a village.
Gradually, people refined Li Yuzhong's "big house" into the name of the village "Dafang". And the way of being generous and tolerant has become a tradition followed by Dafang people for generations.
One family is not as rich as everyone
After the 1990s, many Dafang people left their hometowns and went to the city to look for opportunities. . The bread business with good sales has become an option for Dafang people.
In 2000, villager Li Shusheng opened a bakery in Nanjing.
In order to occupy the market as soon as possible, Li Shusheng is constantly studying and researching. As long as there is a bread-related exhibition, he will go to learn and accumulate experience.
Hard work paid off, and gradually he figured out an exclusive secret recipe for fermentation. Relying on the secret recipe, Li Shusheng established a foothold in the market.
When he went home to visit relatives, Li Shusheng found that the folks who stayed at home had less than one-tenth of his income and lived a very tight life.
Seeing the difficulties of the villagers, Li Shusheng took the initiative to propose that people from Dafang who want to start a bread business can go to his shop to learn the technology, and all the secret recipes will be made public.
In this way, under the leadership of Li Shusheng, more than 50 villagers in Dafang Village started a bread business.
Everyone also agreed not to open stores in adjacent places and not to let competition hurt the harmony. Later, this agreement gradually became the rule of the bakery industry in Jinxi County.
Today, one out of ten people in Jinxi is making bread, and everyone operates decentralized operations. More than 10,000 bakeries have been opened in every prefecture-level city in China, creating an annual output value of up to 3.5 billion yuan. .
Stick to the roots and engage in innovation
However, although money was made, Dafang Village gradually became empty.
The old houses in the village are in disrepair and are dilapidated and difficult to live in. Therefore, many young people working outside are unwilling to come back.
People really want to repair old houses, but this is a huge project that not only requires a large amount of funds, but also requires technical support. It is simply impossible to complete it with the efforts of one family and one village.
Until 2018, the Jinxi County Government cooperated with the China Cultural Relics Conservation Foundation to launch a large-scale "Operation to Save Old Houses." Dafang Village has also been included in the restoration list.
In June 2019, the first phase of the Dafang Village restoration project began. At that time, many foreign artists were also invited to the village, providing fresh elements to create a multi-style creative village.
But their ideas conflicted with those of the villagers.
Once, when renovating an old house of a villager, the designer wanted to remove the Feng Shui wall to increase the lighting and ventilation of the house.
However, this approach has been opposed by the owner. The old houses are left by the ancestors. The layout and Feng Shui are very particular and cannot be destroyed easily.
The two sides were at loggerheads and the project could not continue.
Later, with the help of the village director, the owner and the designer sat down together and exchanged their ideas. In the end, both parties took a step back. The Feng Shui wall was retained, but a few windows were opened for ventilation. and lighting.
When facing conflicts, it is not about confrontation, but about seeking reconciliation. In this way, in the communication and tolerance between villagers and designers, the village is changing day by day.
In March 2020, the first phase of the Dafang Village restoration project was completed. This ancient village, which not only preserves the traditional layout and ancient architectural shapes, but also incorporates the characteristics of the times, attracts many tourists.
Nowadays, young people who once went out to work hard have returned to their hometowns to live and start businesses. There are also many foreign artists who have stayed for a long time because they have gradually fallen in love with Chinese culture. This traditional and modern village is full of vitality.
Tonight at 20:00, go to Dafang Village in Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province to see a village that blends tradition and modernity.
"Remember Nostalgia" Rural Revitalization Series
Broadcast content: "Dafang Village - Rebirth of Dafang Dafang Ancient Village"
Broadcast time: 2022 January 26 (Wednesday) 20:00
Broadcast channel: CCTV-4 Chinese International Channel
Editor | Wang Linyan