(ECNS) -- Chixi Village in Beihai City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, once a registered poor village, has been transformed into a cultural tourism destination after two years of collaboration with artists from Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts and Design.
Two years ago, the local government invited the artists to create works on site, leveraging the area's red-soil landscape and subtropical vegetation.
The artists used metal frames and hundreds of subtropical plant species to create public artworks alongside villagers, turning discarded materials into large outdoor installations. This collaboration sparked a new path blending art, study tours and farming.
The village now connects its artworks with farmland and offers 15 hands-on activity venues, including tie-dyeing, pottery and baking, capable of hosting up to 1,500 students and visitors at a time. A newly built nature-themed pavilion features a 5D cinema, insect hotel building, floor curling and miniature gardening.
Villagers have benefited economically. Huang Wenfeng, a 60-year-old farmer, now maintains art installations and serves as a farming instructor for study tours. Officials said more than 90% of households have built new homes and bought cars. In 2025, the village received 85,000 visitors and generated over 3 million yuan (about $420,000) in revenue, with study tours accounting for more than half of collective income.
(By Tang Yuxian)
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