Guizhou province held an executive meeting in the capital city, Guiyang, on April 27, to discuss a draft of guidelines for protecting its 426 villages on the Chinese Traditional Village List.
The problem is, some of them face a risk of disappearing because of the lack of financial input and poor maintenance, but the provincial governor, Chen Min'er, says, "These villages are an important part of Guizhou and are tied to the essence of agricultural civilization, the folk culture, and heritage that could be a part of people's nostalgia and memories, so they need urgent help."
The draft calls for improvements in fire safety, the most pressing issue, which includes improving the dwellings, water and electricity system and transportation.
In the meantime, local authorities say they will come up with basic protective measures for the dwellings and some industries that will also raise the incomes of locals.
That move might prompt villagers to stay instead of going to the city to look for work, since more villagers have been leaving hometowns to make a living in the urban areas because of the backward economic conditions, which puts the traditional villages and their culture at risk.
The draft says that it could take 3-5 years to complete the protection work but, by 2017, the 426 villages on the list will be the first to be restored.
