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The introduction of art into efforts to create a more beautiful countryside, including enriching the cultural lives of rural residents, boosting the development of traditional crafts, and initiating the renovation of rural buildings, has delivered more possibilities for rural development. The artistic renovation of Xicun, a village surrounded by green mountains, rivers and beautiful scenery in Ningguo, a county-level city under the administration of Xuancheng city in east China’s Anhui Province, has significantly improved the appearance of the village. Taking a walk in Xicun, one may see vivid paintings on the walls of houses in the village. Among them is a wire pole which was painted to look like the golden cudgel of the Monkey King, while on the wall of a house behind the pole is a painting of the same fabled character. The visual design is so creative that it seems as if the Monkey King is holding the golden cudgel in his hands. “After the artistic renovation, Xicun village has become a popular tourist attraction. During the peak travel seasons, cars will always have to queue up for several kilometers in an attempt to enter the village,” said Li Xue, a member of the Party committee of Gangkou township, which administers Xicun village. In 2016, Gangkou township kicked off a beautiful courtyard building project, encouraging farmers to renovate their houses in an artistic manner while in the meantime offering subsidies to them to show additional support. One year later, the village invited professionals to create paintings on walls of the houses, with the paintings later becoming popular photo spots, attracting visitors to the area on weekends. The village also encouraged others in society to take part in the artistic renovation efforts by building cultural centers and art galleries while making full use of empty and abandoned houses. Not only have the rural houses been renovated, the cultural lives of local residents have been enriched as well. In April of every year, a flower-drum opera cultural week is held in the village, during which performers from art troupes will stage spectacular artistic performances for villagers and tourists, introduced Li Hua, deputy mayor of Ningguo city, who is also secretary of the Party committee of Gangkou township. By holding these activities, Xicun village has built its own intellectual property (IP) in the field of art that enjoys both popularity and reputation. The local government also built an artistic brand for Xicun village that hinges on photography. In 2018, Xicun village was designated “the first photography village in China” by the China Photographers Association. In October 2018, a national photography exhibition on rural China, the first of this kind, was held in Xicun village, attracting photography enthusiasts from across the country to gather together in the village. “Four sessions of the photography exhibition have been held so far, and each year, we will select some excellent photos and then display them on the walls of the villagers’ houses. Nowadays, the wall of photography has become a special tourist attraction in the village,” said Li Xue.
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