Background and Significance of the Project:
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the number of natural villages in China has sharply declined from 3.63 million in 2000 to 2.36 million in 2020, with a decrease of 1.27 million villages in the past two decades. On top of this large number of natural villages, traditional villages are even scarcer. As of the end of 2019, there were only 6,819 traditional villages listed for protection, accounting for a mere 0.27% of the total number of natural villages. The urgent task of saving traditional villages cannot be overlooked.
At the same time, traditional villages face numerous challenges. Amid the accelerated processes of globalization and urbanization, young people in traditional villages mostly migrate to urban areas for work, leaving behind mainly elderly and children. Many historical buildings are left unoccupied and unmaintained, gradually falling into disrepair. This has led to the phenomenon of "empty villages" and posed development challenges such as talent shortage, lack of funds, single industry structure, and a lack of successors to traditional culture in traditional villages during the socioeconomic transition of the new era.
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China emphasized the comprehensive promotion of rural revitalization, the promotion of regional coordinated development, the advancement of high-level opening-up, and the realization of qualitative and reasonable growth in the economy. In terms of cultural construction, it aims to promote cultural self-confidence and strengthen the influence of Chinese civilization. In terms of ecological civilization construction, it aims to promote the construction of a beautiful China, accelerate the green transformation of development patterns, and promote harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Protecting traditional villages in China is not only about preserving the cultural roots of the Chinese nation but also an important embodiment of the historical and cultural diversity of the Chinese nation and a carrier of cultural self-confidence.
Faced with the complex and systematic challenge of saving traditional villages, the School of Design, with the support of the Global Challenges Program, has conducted a series of proactive explorations in Zhejiang Lishui, the Alpine region of Italy, and Shanxi Lianghu. These efforts have been rewarded with many important awards, including the "Knowledge and Action Cup" and the National Excellent Practice Team in the Rural Areas. Deep collaborations have been established with the Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy, the University of Hong Kong, and the University of Macau. In the previous activities, the work camp members went to Shanxi Lianghu and officially initiated the restoration project of "Geng Du Di." They discussed and negotiated with local craftsmen at multiple construction sites, learned and practiced restoration techniques, and actively contributed to the repair and construction of the buildings. They also conducted surveys and prepared restoration reports, as well as raised funds for subsequent operations to achieve significant social benefits.
On November 22, 2022, the Yunnan Provincial Government and Shanghai Jiao Tong University signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Kunming. Wang Ning, the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, stated that the whole province is currently deeply studying and implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, focusing on filling gaps, strengthening weaknesses, enhancing strengths, and ensuring security, and striving to promote high-quality and leapfrog development. Shanghai Jiao Tong University has maintained a good cooperative relationship with Yunnan Province and hopes to deepen strategic cooperation in areas such as discipline construction, technological innovation and transformation, industrial development, and consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation. After the signing of the provincial-university cooperation agreement, Yuxi City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and Lijiang City respectively signed campus-local cooperation agreements with Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
The "Save Traditional Villages" work camp in 2023 will continue the principles of previous editions and delve into the protection and restoration practices of traditional villages in Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China. Shanghai Jiao Tong University will leverage its strengths and further deepen its cooperation with Lijiang City in the field of rural revitalization, assisting in the accelerated development of traditional villages in Lijiang. We hope to explore the protection, regeneration, and revitalization of traditional villages in the new era through the integration of theory and practice.
Project Objectives:
The work camp aims to fully leverage the disciplinary strengths of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and take a problem-oriented approach. By combining field surveys, team creations, professional guidance, and solution competitions, mainland Chinese youth will join hands with students from Hong Kong, Macau, and international backgrounds to contribute their creativity and compassion, providing more feasible solutions for traditional villages that are facing disappearance.
Specific Task Requirements:
1. Conduct research on traditional villages, perform on-site measurements of buildings, create construction drawings based on the building conditions, and develop restoration plans for traditional houses under the guidance of traditional craftsmen.
2. Develop commercial operation plans for the restoration of buildings (village revitalization) and write detailed implementation guidelines.
3. Collaborate with village committees, tourism companies, and villagers to establish usage and maintenance agreements for the buildings.
4. Encourage camp participants to design and create products such as posters, logos, videos, photo albums, and cultural and creative merchandise.