But... the local villagers all lamented that the billboards were too tacky, so they opened the blind box village ④ | Water Park Village in Zhejiang Mountain Village | Zhejiang | Amusement Park
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Zhejiang's promotion of the "Thousand Village Demonstration and Ten Thousand Village Renovation" initiative. The "Ten Million Project" has created many beautiful rural areas in Zhejiang, achieving significant results and leading the overall living environment of rural areas in Zhejiang to the forefront of the country. During the breaks between interviews in various parts of Zhejiang, reporters from Liberation Daily and Shangguan News randomly walked into some villages, like opening blind boxes with expectations and questions, watching the changes in the countryside. This is the fourth article.
During an interview in Linhai, Zhejiang, passing by Zisheng Village in Youxi Town, it was difficult not to be attracted by the huge water park billboard at the village entrance. The bright color scheme, large artistic characters, and simple large arrow guidance make even local villagers passing by exclaim that this design is too rustic! However, soil has its benefits. Many passing tourists, upon seeing billboards, immediately turn their cars around and head straight towards the village.
The reporter was curious and decided to explore the truth. The water park is not difficult to find. Follow the main road in the village, pass through the newly built village committee office building, and walk on the stone bridge to get a glimpse of the entire water park. The inflatable pink Hello Kitty crossed the river and felt quite stunning when first seen. Perhaps due to the rain, there were not many people playing. The children were led by their parents to climb and play in an orderly manner, with occasional laughter and laughter, perfectly blending into the lively and lively background music.
A water park is a great place to cool off. In addition to the water park, the village has also opened up swimming areas, water play areas, and water amusement areas along the river, introducing popular projects such as paddleboarding and kayaking, all of which are open for free. The elderly in the village told reporters that the water quality in Zisheng Village is good, and young people like to come and play in the water. In the past two years, the village has become quite lively. However, they also complain that some people do not know how to cherish their free rented life jackets and fart floats, often causing damage.
With more tourists coming to play, the business models in the village are gradually increasing. For example, the snack shop that used to sell snacks now also sells rain gear, water toys, and so on. Tents and pots were set up on the open land by the river, and a large food stall was set up selling local specialties of Taizhou. The business was thriving. Young man Xu Chongxia personally renovated and opened a highway coffee shop, which can sell up to over 1000 yuan in a day. This year, Xu Chongxia took the opportunity to open a barbecue stall again, hoping to continue to grow and strengthen.
Zisheng Village is also trying to find ways to improve. Previously, relying on the entire village of Youxi Town to promote rectification, many illegal buildings were demolished in the village, and the overall environment was significantly improved. In addition, healthy walkways and hydrophilic platforms were built along the river. The reporter found that although most of the villages are small western-style houses built by villagers themselves, their orientation is neat and their style is relatively unified, enhancing the overall beauty. Recently, the village is planning to expand the parking lot to cope with the increase in passenger flow. In the past two years, homestays and farmhouses in the village have also begun to sprout. Although the scale is not large and the level is not high, the focus is on building from scratch and filling the gaps in business formats.
Xu Lingting, a staff member from Youxi Town, is a local with a background in art. During his college years, he even went to the village to paint murals. He joked with the reporter about a dispute between the young people working in the town and the village. In the past, when organizing activities in the village, he often complained that the village's ideas were not stylish enough and the activities were not refined enough. However, after using a new plan, he was not satisfied with the local conditions and the results were not as expected. Now, his thoughts have changed, and he sometimes worries that the design in the village is not rustic enough to reflect its unique features. "In fact, the sinking market that conforms to the characteristics of rural areas is very broad, indicating a down-to-earth atmosphere. The biggest fear is that it will not be unique and will lose its own advantages," said Xu Lingting.
Unfashionable is another flavor of rural life. In Zisheng Village, around the water park, some have joined volunteers to help manage and operate it, some have shaken their fan and stopped to watch, some have set up small stalls for business, and some have nestled in the cultural hall watching TV. Building rural areas should not only make them cleaner and more beautiful, but also provide more lifestyle choices for people living in them.
