This transformation is just one of many in Lizu, a centuries‑old village in Zhejiang province that has become a model for China’s rural revitalisation drive.
The strategy was first introduced at the Chinese Communist Party’s 19th National Congress in 2017.
Last year, China unveiled a comprehensive rural revitalisation plan running through 2027, with goals including boosting agricultural development and narrowing the urban-rural divide.
Lizu was once nicknamed “water buffalo horn village”, a reference to the narrowing tip of a buffalo horn and a metaphor for its dead-end prospects. It was poor, isolated and regarded as among the most run-down villages in the province.
For Lizu, its transformation began in 2003, when rural renewal plans were still at a provincial level. It started with improvements to basic infrastructure before expanding into commercial development.
Today, about half of its residents are aged 35 or younger.
Some 340 young entrepreneurs run around 100 businesses there – from traditional handicrafts to general stores – generating about 70 million yuan (US$10.4 million) in annual revenue.
At the same time, elderly residents still live in the village – the oldest among them is said to be 102 years old.
“I think young people coming to the countryside to start their businesses is a very good thing,” said Fang.
“This shows they don’t rely on others, waiting for a salary, just like our Pumpkin,” he said, referring to the young entrepreneur who rents part of his current home for her eatery business.
They help one another with household chores, and he shares fresh ingredients from his farm with her.
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