Villagers grazing sheep under the "statue of the emperor".
More than 500 statues of emperors of the past dynasties are covered with wild grass at their feet, and rows of "terracotta warriors and horses" are hidden in the barren mountains, and sheep are shuttling freely among them...... This is located in Fengdian Town, Zhongjiang County, Deyang, Sichuan.
The scenic spot was not fully completed and "died". Since its closure in June 2022, the park has been abandoned for nearly two years.
Back in November 2019, the "Ancient Name World" scenic spot was officially opened to the public, attracting 20,000 or 30,000 tourists a day at its peak. Known as "Chinese Exploration Tour, Visiting the Mythical Kingdom", a "Chinese Historical Process Park" has been built in the scenic area, and the statues in the park have almost included the emperors of the past dynasties from "Pangu Opening the Heavens" to "Xuantong Abdication". In addition, there are hundreds of imitation terracotta warriors and horses, which are called "low-profile copycat terracotta warriors" by netizens, which once attracted many tourists to check in.
The scenic spot once issued a document saying that the total planned land area of the scenic spot is about 23,000 mu, and the total investment of the third phase is 3.1 billion yuan, and it will be "built into a 5A-level scenic spot". However, the development of scenic spots has not been smooth sailing.
On December 30, 2019, Zhou Lizhu, the legal representative of Sichuan Guming Tianxia Tourism Development Co., Ltd., was sentenced to a suspended sentence for illegally occupying agricultural land. Problems such as the company's arrears have also been exposed, and public information shows that the total amount of arrears and financing exceeds 100 million. Due to debt disputes, Zhou Lizhu was also injured, and her health has deteriorated since then. The development of the scenic spot has also gradually run aground.
"Terracotta Warriors" hidden in the weeds
Recently, the Red Star News reporter learned that 63-year-old Zhou Lizhu died on April 15 due to a recurrence of injury. "His heart is too big. He left before he had a good life......," his wife, Ms. Meng, said with tears in her eyes on April 25. With the death of Zhou Lizhu, the "Ancient Name of the World" scenic spot created by him is also facing a new fate.
Why did this large-scale "Internet celebrity scenic spot" fall so quickly? From the grand blueprint to the closure and abandonment of the park, what happened behind the scenes? In this regard, the Red Star News reporter conducted an in-depth investigation.
Site Visits:
The magnificent momentum still exists, and the ticket was once 98 yuan / piece
Now the grass is overgrown, and the villagers sigh "It's a pity"
Half a year ago, the Red Star News reporter went to the "Ancient Name World" scenic spot for a field visit. At that time, the magnificent gate and flagpole of the scenic spot were particularly eye-catching, as if telling the glory of the past. On the main entrance square of the scenic spot, there are 9 elephant sculptures. "There is a place in the world throughout the ages, and there is no other home in the north, south, east and west", a couplet is quite eye-catching.
The main entrance of the scenic spot
At that time, the gate of the scenic spot was locked, and the tickets and tour maps were discarded on the ground, and the ticket price was 98 yuan per ticket. The front of the gate is overgrown with weeds, and some of the equipment and facilities are rusty. Walking along the path opened up by the villagers into the scenic spot, there are some dilapidated buildings standing quietly, almost uninhabited, only the sound of birdsong.
Gong Heng, a villager in Huangping Village, Fengdian Town, was working on a piece of land in the scenic area at that time. When he saw the reporter, he recognized Deng Yong, the former manager of the scenic spot, at a glance.
"How long have we been able to get the land money (rent)?" Gong Heng wanted to inquire about some news. His family has more than 3 acres of land leased to the scenic spot, but like other villagers, he has not received rent for three years.
"I don't know. Deng Yong replied. In fact, Deng Yong also wanted to find his boss Zhou Lizhu, because the company still owed him about 100,000 yuan in salary expenses.
Hearing this, Gong Heng continued to work in disappointment. He said that the scenic area had not yet been developed, and he could not get rent, so he came in to plant some crops.
Unfinished buildings in the scenic area
"It's a pity!" Gong Heng sighed again and again.
At first, many villagers still held out hope that the scenic spot would "survive". However, as the weeds in the scenic area grew wildly, the scenic spots were gradually abandoned, and the villagers gradually lost patience and came back to cultivate the land one after another.
Scenic "Past Events":
It has signed a contract to invest hundreds of millions of yuan in agricultural tourism projects
In the early days of the opening, it was crowded with people
According to public information, the "Ancient Name World" tourism development project was launched in 2014.
According to a "Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement" (hereinafter referred to as the "Agreement") obtained by the Red Star News reporter from the former management personnel of the scenic spot, on March 7 of that year, Sichuan Guming Tianxia Investment Management Co., Ltd. signed an agreement with the Fengdian Town Government of Zhongjiang County, Deyang.
The agreement stipulates that the relevant company will invest 370 million yuan to build a new Lamei ornamental base and agricultural tourism project in Fengdian Town. The Fengdian Town Government agreed to provide the company with the project rental land within the ownership and land scope of the village committees of Huangping Village and Hejia Village, and the area shall be subject to the leased area signed between the company and the village, but shall not violate the relevant laws, regulations and policies of the state on land management and use.
According to the agreement, the total investment of the project is 370 million yuan, which will be completed in two phases, with a construction period of 4 years, fully launched in March 2014 and fully completed before the end of December 2018, and can achieve annual sales revenue of 200 million yuan and tax revenue of 20 million yuan after completion. The agreement also stipulates that the use nature of the land shall not be changed without authorization, and if it is really necessary to change the nature of a small amount of land, it shall be used after approval, and the construction and production shall meet the requirements of urban construction, environmental protection and safety.
In August of the same year, Sichuan Ancient Name World Tourism Development Co., Ltd. was established to carry out the construction and development of the "Ancient Name World" tourism project.
Why did you choose to invest here? Zhou Lizhu, the company's legal representative, once told employees in a conversation that he often drove past the place and "suddenly became enlightened" after passing through a tunnel. "He thinks this place is a hot place for investment, a blessed place for him. An employee said.
In 2014, the construction of the "Ancient Name World" scenic spot started. In the past five years, 19 kilometers of landscape roads have been opened up on the barren mountains, stringing together scenic spots.
"A journey of exploration in China, a journey to the kingdom of mythology. On November 23, 2019, the first Chinese Cultural Tourism Festival was held in the "Ancient Name World" tourist attraction in Zhongjiang County, Deyang City. On this day, the scenic spot is officially opened to tourists.
The magnificent "Terracotta Warriors" at the beginning of the opening of the park
"The opening day was crowded with people, like a festival, and it was really lively. Recalling the grand opening of the park, villager Gong Shujun's eyes lit up. He said that it was the busiest day in the village, not only the scenic spot was full of tourists, but also the restaurants in the nearby town. According to the staff of the scenic spot, the ticket income after the opening of the park was more than 40,000 yuan a day, and everyone was full of confidence and enthusiasm at that time.
However, the good times were short-lived. Later, Zhou Lizhu was sentenced to a suspended sentence for illegally occupying agricultural land. Blind expansion has led to the rupture of the capital chain, and problems such as arrears of wages and arrears of project funds and fund-raising funds in the scenic spot have been continuously exposed. On June 2, 2022, the "Ancient Name World" scenic spot will be closed.
Behind the Desertion:
The total investment in the scenic spot has changed from 370 million to 3.1 billion
Rapid expansion leads to the breaking of the capital chain
Looking back on the development and construction of the "Ancient Name World" scenic spot project, we can see that it has a "road of expansion".
The "Terracotta Warriors" in the scenic area two years ago
On November 3, 2017, the official account of the scenic spot issued a document saying, "The total investment of the ancient name world tourist attraction is 2.3 billion yuan, and it is under construction in an orderly ......manner"
The original planned investment of 370 million yuan was suddenly turned into a project with a total investment of 2.3 billion yuan. Zhou Lizhu once said in an interview that "the scenic spot is built in accordance with the national 5A-level tourist attraction standards", and will build a 5A-level scenic spot and the company's listing as the goal.
On October 2, 2019, the preparatory work promotion meeting for the opening of the "Ancient Name World" scenic spot was held. The scenic spot also issued a document saying, "The total planned land area of the scenic spot is about 23,000 acres, with a total investment of 3.1 billion yuan, and the project will be constructed in three phases, with the theme of Chinese history and culture, with the integration of culture and tourism of 'agriculture + cultural tourism' as the core, and the goal of creating a national 5A-level tourist attraction, to create a high-quality, differentiated cultural and tourism boutique and a demonstration area for the integrated development of agriculture, commerce, culture, tourism and sports." ”
At this time, the total investment became 3.1 billion again, and the project also changed from two phases to three phases.
The long-term goals of related companies are based on the official micro of the scenic spot
"He (Zhou Lizhu) has taken too big a step, and he is so happy to do things!" Deng Yong told the Red Star News reporter that some employees suggested that after the first and second phases of the scenic spot were completed and put into normal operation, the third phase would be developed, but Zhou Lizhu vetoed it.
This also laid the groundwork for the later "ending".
On November 28, 2019, the People's Procuratorate of Zhongjiang County, Deyang City, accused Guming Tianxia Tourism Company and Zhou Lizhu of illegally occupying agricultural land, and filed a public prosecution with the Zhongjiang County People's Court (hereinafter referred to as the "Zhongjiang Court").
The Zhongjiang People's Court found that between 2014 and 2018, in addition to planting agricultural planting projects such as plum blossoms and begonia flowers on the leased land, the Guming Tianxia Tourism Company changed the nature of the use of the original leased land and started construction projects without obtaining any approval documents and procedures for construction land.
The Zhongjiang People's Court held that the company had illegally occupied 167 mu of agricultural land without obtaining relevant approval procedures in accordance with the law, changed the use of the occupied land, and caused a large amount of agricultural land, resulting in a large amount of destruction of agricultural land, and its actions violated the state's agricultural land management system such as cultivated land and forest land, constituting the crime of illegal occupation of agricultural land. Zhou Lizhu, as the legal representative of the company, is the person in charge directly responsible for the project, and her behavior also constitutes the crime of illegal occupation of agricultural land.
Photos of Zhou Lizhu attending the event before her death According to the official micro of the scenic spot
On December 30, 2019, the Zhongjiang People's Court ruled in the first instance that Guming Tianxia Tourism Company was guilty of illegally occupying agricultural land and sentenced her to a fine of RMB 50,000, while Zhou Lizhu was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, suspended for three years, and fined RMB 10,000 for illegally occupying agricultural land.
On November 19, 2021, the Fengdian Town Government publicly replied to netizens in "Ask Politics Sichuan" that the capital chain of Sichuan Guming Tianxia Investment Management Co., Ltd. was broken, and the project payment was about 28 million yuan and the financing was more than 8,000 yuan in arrears.
Death of the boss:
Family says 'his heart is too big'
After the evaluation of the local plan, it was rebuilt with investment
Lawsuits, debts, Zhou Lizhu also suffered personal injuries. In October 2022, he was seriously injured by two debt collectors, and underwent two major surgeries to save his life, and his health has deteriorated since then.
"It's all the after-effects of being beaten. His wife, Ms. Meng, who has been with him for more than 30 years, said that the two men who injured Zhou Lizhu were sentenced, but the 300,000 yuan compensation awarded by the court was not received, and even the money for Zhou Lizhu's medical treatment was scraped together by her and her daughter.
At the beginning of this year, Zhou Lizhu's injury relapsed. Due to financial difficulties, Ms. Meng could only buy some Chinese medicine for him to recuperate. On March 31, Zhou Lizhu was seriously ill, and Ms. Meng called her cousin Zhou Wenguang, who was still on duty in the "Ancient Name World" scenic spot, and Zhou Wenguang then went to Chengdu to take care of Zhou Lizhu.
He couldn't speak, but his eyes were open. "After working hard with his cousin for nearly 20 years, Zhou Wenguang is a little difficult to accept.
On the afternoon of April 14, Zhou Lizhu was critically ill, and her family called 120 to send her to the hospital. "The doctor said that he had multiple organ failures and recommended that he arrange the funeral as soon as possible. Ms. Meng introduced that Zhou Lizhu once said that she wanted to return to her hometown, and her family discussed it and sent her back to her hometown in Dazhou, Sichuan.
Zhou Lizhu's old house
In the early morning of April 15, Zhou Lizhu was carried into the old house in Shiti Town, Dazhou. "I got home less than 5 minutes and was out of breath. Zhou Wenguang said.
Four days later, 63-year-old Zhou Lizhu was buried in her hometown and returned to dust. Ms. Meng said that Zhou Lizhu has three daughters and one son, none of whom have ever started a family, the youngest son is still in primary school, and the three daughters are working outside the home, "not doing well." Speaking of her husband's life, Ms. Meng thinks, "It's still too big, his heart is too big!"
Recently, the Red Star News reporter learned from the relevant village and town cadres of Fengdian Town, Zhongjiang County, that the local plan is to evaluate the assets and debts of the "Ancient Name World" scenic spot and introduce capital to rebuild.
Red Star News reporter Wang Mingping
Editor: Zhang Xun, Editor: Li Binbin
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