The mountain peach blossoms are blooming, the willow branches are sprouting, and the famous "stone village" of Taihang Mountain, Yujia Village, Jingcheng County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, is full of spring. Groups of tourists wander around, casually using their mobile phones to record the beautiful scenery of spring.
According to the records of Jingcheng County, Yujia Village was founded in the Ming Dynasty during the Chenghua period, has a history of more than 500 years, and is the residence of the descendants of the famous politician Yu Qian in the Ming Dynasty. It is located in the depths of 800 miles of Taihang, the village is built with stones for the room, and the stones are paved for the road, which is the world of stones. In recent years, this ancient village hidden in the mountains has gradually become famous, turning into an Internet celebrity check-in place, and the villagers have eaten a "tourist meal".
On March 23, the building of Yujia Village (drone photo). Photo by Wang Baolong
"Six streets, seven alleys and eighteen alleys, each stone has its own story, more than 300 courtyard houses are all the same, each with its own charm. In front of the village's landmark "Qingliang Pavilion", 63-year-old Yu Cuitian is explaining the architectural characteristics of the village to tourists. She speaks fluent Mandarin and has a smile on her face.
According to Yu Cuitian, there are five villager docents like her, each with an income of more than 1,000 yuan per month. Although it is a part-time "grass platform team", everyone hopes to let more people know about Yujia Village, so they continue to learn and summarize the history and legends of the village, and strive to tell the story of their hometown.
On March 23, tourists visited the alley of Yujia Village. Photo by Wang Baolong
In a farmhouse converted from an old stone house, 56-year-old Kang Rui'e is busy in the back kitchen. The quaint wooden signboards and red lanterns at the entrance of the courtyard are particularly eye-catching, and strings of red peppers are hanging quietly in the courtyard, and the strong rural atmosphere is blowing in the face.
Seeing that there was a guest coming, Kang Rui'e greeted her warmly and handed over the recipe neatly. Kang Rui'e, who has been working in other places in the past, said that with the 5th Shijiazhuang Tourism Industry Development Conference held in Jingcheng in 2019 and the construction of the "Taihang Tianlu" in Jingcheng, more and more people came to play, so she went home and opened a farmhouse.
Although the per capita cultivated land in the village is less than two acres, the stupid eggs, stewed chickens and wild vegetables made from local materials here are quite popular among tourists. Kang Rui'e is satisfied that "you can earn money at your doorstep".
"Because of its unique stone architecture and long historical heritage, Yujia Village has been rated as a famous historical and cultural village in China, a traditional village in China, and a key village in rural tourism in Hebei Province. Yu Hui, secretary of the party branch of Yujia Village, said that in recent years, the village has raised funds to repair 20 ancient buildings, and the county has also introduced a tourism development company for the village.
According to Yu Hui, Yujia Village, which has a permanent population of just over 500 people, now has eight shops, six restaurants and more than a dozen farmhouses. The introduction of tourism development company operation, the adoption of the "guarantee + dividend" model, in 2023 to achieve a collective dividend of more than 500,000 yuan, the company also employs more than 40 villagers, and the number of workers on important holidays will double.
On March 23, primary school students from Shijiazhuang City studied in Yujia Village. Photo by reporter Li Xiaowei
"There are not only the unique stone buildings of Taihang Mountain, but also the simple folk culture and rich history, and I feel calm down when I walk in the village. Ren Yanjie, a teacher from an art school in Shijiazhuang, said. On that day, she was studying here with dozens of elementary school students.
"We strive to use in protection, protect in use, so that ancient villages can evoke nostalgia and retain young people. Yu Hui said that the 10 boutique B&Bs in the village will be opened to the public, and in the future, on the basis of insisting on the protection of ancient villages, more business entities will be introduced to develop more new formats. (ENDS)
Source: Chinanews Author Li Xiaowei Ju Ningbo