Chongqing- On December 20, Chongqing Jingzhu Village and Guangxi Dazhai Village in China were selected as the "Best Tourist Villages" by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization's "Best Tourism Villages" selection, which began in 2021, aims to promote rural cultural heritage preservation and sustainable development through tourism. One hundred thirty-six villages from 57 countries participated in the 2022 competition, and 32 villages were finally selected, with China ranking first in the Asia-Pacific region regarding the number of nominations. At present, China has four villages on the list.

Chongqing Jingzhu Village in the sunset. (Photo/ Ministry of Culture and Tourism)

Through rural tourism development, Jingzhu Village and Dazhai Village preserve and transmit excellent local culture while simultaneously developing and utilizing it. By combining the attractive cultural heritage of the agricultural civilization of China with modern civilization elements, China's everlasting culture can be seen worldwide.

Bring vitality to old villages

Jingzhu Village is located in the Wulong District of Chongqing. In addition to preserving the lifestyle and architectural features rooted in the unique geographical and cultural environment, Jingzhu Village also recreates the public cultural space with modern creativity. Local tiles, wood, and rammed earth walls are used to promote and display the ancient village's culture.

Moreover, Jingzhu Village has built an intangible cultural heritage workshop as a platform for the promotion and protection of cultural resources. Tourists can experience culture-related activities and intangible cultural heritage projects such as batik (a traditional technique of wax-resistant dyeing), bamboo weaving, paper-cutting, and traditional food production, thus experiencing the charm of the village's unique culture up close.

The intangible cultural heritage project - bamboo weaving of Chongqing Jingzhu Village. (Photo/ Ministry of Culture and Tourism)

Old houses, ancient wood-fired stoves, square tables, and bamboo chairs create a characteristic teahouse to show tourists traditional rural living styles. Young people participate in international summer camps to learn about farming culture.

Expats are experiencing the farm work - tofu making. (Photo/ Ministry of Culture and Tourism)

Joint green development  

The village is committed to green development and advocates the concept of "carbon peak and neutrality." Each April, the village conducts activities to promote the water conservation policy, water resource management, and garbage classification. The village also organizes small lectures on climate change protection for volunteers and tourists to strengthen the concept of environmental protection among villagers.

By restoring the ecological functions of the environment, both the tourism environment and the rural habitat environment are enhanced. Garbage is cleaned from ditches and rivers in the village area, and protection programs and systems are developed to improve environmental protection. Control soil erosion in woodlands, set up artificial bird nests and feeding points in woods to attract birds and enhance the habitat environment. Strengthen farmland protection, strengthen green prevention and control, encourage the use of organic fertilizers, plant green crops, and create pollution-free and green vegetable agricultural products.

The alpine meadow of Chongqing Jingzhu Village. (Photo/ Ministry of Culture and Tourism)

During the last few years, China has promoted high-quality rural tourism development and has developed a rural development model based on deep integration between culture and tourism, harmony between humans and nature, and affluence on the material and spiritual levels. The Chinese rural tourism development model has not only become a strong driving force for the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside and the recovery of the tourism market but also made a unique contribution to solving the common problems faced by humankind, opening up a new path to carry out mutual appreciation of civilization and promote the construction of a better world.