Ancient paper-making village turned into Internet-famous ICH ecological village
2024-07-15
This mountain village, inhabited by only 57 households, boasts 6 national ICH items and 12 representative ICH inheritors.
As summer vacation approaches, more and more people in urban areas come here to experience the charm of ICH.
Daoguanchong ICH Homestay Cluster is located in Shanghong Village, Zhangfang Town, Liuyang City, at the southern foot of Dawei Mountain, with a land area of about 2.7 square kilometers. It’s a natural village inhabited by Hakka people.
Handmade bamboo paper was once a pillar industry of Daoguanchong, with a production history dating back to the Song Dynasty. And it was once considered as tribute paper.
In the 1980s, as the mechanical paper making was promoted, the handmade bamboo paper gradually faded away. Villagers went outside for work, and only the elderly and children were left in the village.
Fortunately, cultural volunteers Li Feng, Yi Chengye and Liu Lan were impressed by local ICH techniques and villagers’ determination and action to seek changes. To learn about the handmade papermaking technique, they visited this village and thought that this mountain village has great potential.
Fortunately, cultural volunteers Li Feng, Yi Chengye and Liu Lan were impressed by local ICH techniques and villagers’ determination and action to seek changes. To learn about the handmade papermaking technique, they visited this village and thought that this mountain village has great potential.
In the past few years, ICH has been promoted through exhibitions, performances and media reports. But if ICH could not be integrated into modern life and bring tangible benefits, it would not have long-term vitality and the local dynamic protection cannot be lasting. Therefore, rural tourism has been developed.
In October 2018, a rural tourism development company was established in the village to build an ICH ecological village.
Since 2019, such infrastructure construction projects as improvement of water systems, public cultural sites and water and electricity networks have been implemented.
Shuanglianxi Waterfall Scenic Spot was developed, the ancient papermaking workshop was reopened, and a bamboo paper production technique protection and promotion center was built. An ancient papermaking study museum, Hunan’s first paper-themed paper museum, was set up. Other museums like the wooden moveable-type printing museum, the rammed earth wall construction experience museum and Hunan ICH image museum were built.
While improving the village environment, they have also developed characteristic cultural tourism products like study tours, cultural creation works and homestay inns, in a bid to build a beautiful countryside that is suitable for working, living and traveling.
In 2020, Yi Chengye, a volunteer for rural construction, built the first homestay inn in Daoguanchong by revitalizing and transforming idle rammed earth houses. Even though the price ranges from 580 yuan to 1,280 yuan, it still attracts many tourists.
Influenced by Yi Chengye, many young people returned to their hometown to start businesses. Now, there are 11 homestay inns with 64 guestrooms.
The ICH museums and ICH homestay inns attract tourists and achieve common development, giving rise to service products and supporting industries, forming a complete cultural and tourism talent chain, industrial chain, and ecological chain. The immersive experience scene of Liuyang River Cultural Tour has been launched. Daoguanchong has become an Internet-famous gathering area for ICH homestay inns.
With the development model of “company plus village collective plus villager”, Daoguanchong relies on profound ICH projects and a good ecological environment to develop tourism. The once “hollow village” has become a well-known “ICH ecological village”.
Li Feng said that villagers returned, and there are now more tourists. They transformed idle houses into study museums. The sheep pens were converted into reception rooms and offices, and every building was well reused.
At present, Daoguanchong has built 5 ICH venues, and 11 ICH themed homestay inns, and there are two homestay inns under renovation. The operation revenue from homestay inns hit 7 million yuan. In the past two years, the village has received more than 50,000 tourists, and created job opportunities for over 100 villagers.
In 2023, Daoguanchong was an important sub venue of the 2nd Changsha Tourism Development Conference and was included as part of national boutique rural tourism routes.
