Editor's note: 

"Visits to the Village: Ten Years On" is finally here. This documentary series takes a look at China's newly revitalized beautiful countryside with its verdant vistas and reinvigorated villages nestled in among lucid waters and the lush mountains, as one charming village after another develops their own flavor of rural revitalization through integrating culture and tourism. How do these once impoverished but now pretty villages end up making a pretty penny? What's it like to experience the charms of a Li village given a new lease of life through tourism? What stories have come out of the 'new urbanization+beautiful countryside' innovative integration project?

With the 20th National Congress of the CPC due to commence later this year, “Visits to the Village” highlights the extraordinary achievements made in Hainan's rural areas in the past ten years since the 18th National Congress. Follow Lara as she witnesses the surprising and monumental changes that have taken place in the Chinese countryside and experiences a day in the life of rural residents following the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy within the Hainan Free Trade Port.

Each episode sees Lara travel to a village and experience different roles. In Haikou's Bumao Village, she volunteers as a science teacher and takes students for an educational stroll through the Tanfengyang Provincial Wetland Park. She takes over from a guesthouse owner and experiences the charms of a Li village making new inroads with tourism in Zhongliao Village, Sanya, before surfing on down to Hainan's 'Santorini' in Tianya town, where she learns and then teaches others to paddle-board. In Haikou's Qilou historic quarter, Lara and her friend don traditional Chinese Qipao dresses and experience the quaint delights of times gone by. At the Soong Family Cultural Park, she gets an insight into 'Red' culture in her role as a tour guide.

Lara with two lovely Li ladies. CHEN MINGWEN

As Lara is about to discover, although Sanya is known around the world for tropical beaches and mass tourism projects like Nanshan Buddhist Temple, the city at the south end of Hainan Island has a lot more to offer. Today she's on a mission to visit Zhongliao Village and find out for herself.

A quiet place untouched by the fast paced life of urban China, this fascinating little village immediately captivates everyone who visits, with Lara being no exception to the rule.

As part of her mission, Lara will be taking on the roles and responsibilities of a guesthouse boss including everything from picking fresh vegetables from the guesthouse garden to preparing lunch.

Up for the challenge, she immediately starts to get everything ready. As the day progresses, Lara—along with her guests—will discover all the village's nooks and crannies as the locals they connect with in the community share their different stories and experiences. 

Lara with her guests. CHEN MINGWEN

Zhongliao is more than just a village, it's a community made up of people. To see the smiles on their faces as they proudly show off to her how their contributions help make their home flourish, it's quite evident that they have found their personal key to happiness.

If one had to spend a month in Zhongliao, and then return to their everyday life in the city (assuming that’s where they're from), one of the many many things one would miss about this enchanting place is its simple lifestyle.

As a visitor, simply being immersed in this environment—being surrounded by nature, fresh air and people going about their tasks for the day—it enables one to take a step back and reflect on what’s really important. Whether that’s a scrumptious and nutritious meal fresh from the veggie patch, the joy that comes with having a cup of tea accompanied by laughter or kicking back and enjoying a good book.

Just as most people have personal journeys of growth, health and development, so too has this little village taken on its own journey. Where before, the village was untidy, poorly kept and impoverished, it has now become the clean, well kept, well-to-do place we are currently looking at. The infrastructure and facilities built for tourists are, first and foremost, beneficial to the locals who now contribute to maintain its environment and atmosphere.

For people like Lara, who are originally from a small countryside town, Zhongliao Village serves as a sweet reminder to appreciate both the joys and the struggles of growing up in the countryside, whether that be stillness away from the hustle and bustle of the city or the often underappreciated work done by the farmers that feed us. Even the people who are engaged in cultural performances for tourists spend each day with smiles on their faces.

Zhongliao villagers. CHEN MINGWEN

When you visit Zhongliao Village (or any of the places that we recommend), we want to remind you to take it all in. Take in a deep breath of that fresh air, take in the sweet memories of a new experience, take in the smiles of the people you meet along the way, and take in the importance of those simple, yet tiresome tasks that people are committed to, and which we so often take for granted.