NANNING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Yangmei in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is one of south China's most beautiful traditional villages. The complex boasts architectural features spanning the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911) and, despite being hundreds of years old, it is still inhabited.
Sadly, villages like these are at risk at being vanishing. More than 900,000 disappeared over the past decade, and it is estimated that 100 villages are gone every day.
This week, multiple ministries along with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and China National Tourism Administration jointly issued a circular on the preservation of ancient villages.
The circular ordered local authorities to identify ancient villages for inclusion on a nationwide protection list. It also laid out rules regarding building permission, and promised inspections on preservation projects funded by the central government.
PARADISE LOST
One village with historical value disappears every three days in Henan Province, central China, according to the province's Chinese Village Culture Research Center at Central South University.
Chinese film director Feng Xiaogang can attest to this. He said he could not find a suitable village setting for the movie "Back to 1942", which was set in Henan.
"The crew had to move to another village in neighboring Shanxi Province, even though this village was also in a dire state of disrepair," he said.
Sanjiangpo Village in Guangxi dates back over 600 years. However, due to a lack of protection, many traditional dwellings are unfit for habitation. Less than 300 of the autonomous region's 180,000 villages are classed as ancient.
Peng Xintang, with the regional department of housing and urban-rural development, said most old villages are located in less developed areas, which makes it difficult to reach them; hindering preservation efforts.
The local government is very focused on economic development but this is done at the expense of ancient villages, Peng said.
"Money is also an issue," Peng said as maintenance and restoration requires a constant channel of funds.
Zhu Tao, vice dean of an urban and rural planning design institute in Gunagxi, said "resident drain" was also a huge problem.
Zhu said as villagers moved to the cities, the villages became ghost towns.
VILLAGES REGAINED
During a tour of Hubei Province, central China, in 2013, President Xi Jinping said ancient villages should be better protected, and restoration should be an integral part of rural development.
Since the president drew attention to the plight of these villages, efforts have intensified. In addition to the latest circular, a nationwide survey, which started in June 2014, has identified more than 2,500 traditional villages and included them on the protection list.
Feng Jicai, chair of the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Society, said over 200 traditional villages on the list had been thoroughly surveyed.
"The intangible cultural heritage of these villages has been officially identified through this process," Feng said.
Beijing municipal government issued guidelines in July on traditional village renovation, banning the construction of mock-ancient structures.
Twenty-three villages in Guangxi now receive 3 million yuan (about 480,000 U.S. dollars) each from the central government each year to support maintenance. Another 46 villages will also receive financial assistance once their customized preservation plans are completed.
Peng said the protection of ancient villages is a huge and complicated project that requires investment of time and money. The public must also be onboard and support the preservation of these important symbols of Chinese culture, he added.
"I hope one day nostalgia becomes a social trend, and more people will want to protect and live in old villages," Pend said.
