Next Destination: Tracing the Roots of China's Rural Reform
Xiaogang Village, located in Fengyang County in eastern China's Anhui Province, is widely recognized as the pioneer of rural reform in China.
TroibNews 
Xiaogang Village in Fengyang County is widely recognized as the pioneer of China's rural reform.
For many years, the villagers in this area of east China's Anhui Province faced significant challenges, struggling with unproductive land and water shortages. However, a pivotal moment occurred in 1978 when 18 farmers made a daring choice in a crumbling thatched hut. They left their red fingerprints on a contract that divvied up the land among individual families, igniting the rural reform movement in China and establishing Xiaogang as the "first village in rural reform."
Over time, the village embraced its rich cultural heritage, promoting tourism and achieving remarkable progress. It was named one of the "Best Tourism Villages" for 2024 by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
"In my wildest dreams, I never imagined that Xiaogang, once so destitute we could barely fill our stomachs, would one day feast on the riches of tourism," remarked Yan Jinchang, an 81-year-old resident and one of the farmers who signed that transformative agreement 46 years ago.
Today, tourists can explore the thatched cottage where the farmers formalized their agreement, now recognized as a national-level cultural heritage site. Additionally, there’s an exhibition hall dedicated to China’s rural reform efforts and successes.
The village currently features rural homestays consisting of thatched cottages with earthen walls and threshing floors used for sun-drying crops, showcasing farming tools that recreate the village's scenes from the 1980s.
Cultural practitioners also present intangible heritage such as Fengyang flower-drum ballads and paper-cutting, offering workshops to visitors. Tourists can discover traditional methods of producing liquor and vinegar in local breweries and purchase these products as keepsakes.
In the first three quarters of 2024, Xiaogang welcomed over 410,000 visitors. In 2023, the village generated a total tourism revenue of 150 million yuan, with about half of its residents working in the tourism industry.
The surge in tourism has created job opportunities for residents and encouraged more college graduates to return to their hometowns for employment. Furthermore, each villager benefits from an annual bonus of several hundred yuan sourced from the income of the village’s collectively-owned enterprises.
For more:
Next Stop: 'Mushroom cottages' surrounded by cascading rice terraces
Next Stop: Fujian Tulou, connecting people through earthen fort-like buildings
Next Stop: Unique Miao culture helps boost tourism
Next Stop: Taoping Village, a timeless tapestry of culture and nature
Anna Muller for TROIB News
For many years, the villagers in this area of east China's Anhui Province faced significant challenges, struggling with unproductive land and water shortages. However, a pivotal moment occurred in 1978 when 18 farmers made a daring choice in a crumbling thatched hut. They left their red fingerprints on a contract that divvied up the land among individual families, igniting the rural reform movement in China and establishing Xiaogang as the "first village in rural reform."
Over time, the village embraced its rich cultural heritage, promoting tourism and achieving remarkable progress. It was named one of the "Best Tourism Villages" for 2024 by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
"In my wildest dreams, I never imagined that Xiaogang, once so destitute we could barely fill our stomachs, would one day feast on the riches of tourism," remarked Yan Jinchang, an 81-year-old resident and one of the farmers who signed that transformative agreement 46 years ago.
Today, tourists can explore the thatched cottage where the farmers formalized their agreement, now recognized as a national-level cultural heritage site. Additionally, there’s an exhibition hall dedicated to China’s rural reform efforts and successes.
The village currently features rural homestays consisting of thatched cottages with earthen walls and threshing floors used for sun-drying crops, showcasing farming tools that recreate the village's scenes from the 1980s.
Cultural practitioners also present intangible heritage such as Fengyang flower-drum ballads and paper-cutting, offering workshops to visitors. Tourists can discover traditional methods of producing liquor and vinegar in local breweries and purchase these products as keepsakes.
In the first three quarters of 2024, Xiaogang welcomed over 410,000 visitors. In 2023, the village generated a total tourism revenue of 150 million yuan, with about half of its residents working in the tourism industry.
The surge in tourism has created job opportunities for residents and encouraged more college graduates to return to their hometowns for employment. Furthermore, each villager benefits from an annual bonus of several hundred yuan sourced from the income of the village’s collectively-owned enterprises.
For more:
Next Stop: 'Mushroom cottages' surrounded by cascading rice terraces
Next Stop: Fujian Tulou, connecting people through earthen fort-like buildings
Next Stop: Unique Miao culture helps boost tourism
Next Stop: Taoping Village, a timeless tapestry of culture and nature
Anna Muller for TROIB News
