A 700-year-old village in Guangzhou has been transformed from a declining "hollow village" into one of Guangdong's fastest-growing cultural tourism destinations, becoming a showcase for rural revitalization under the province's "High-Quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns, and Villages."
The transformation of Langtou Village in Guangzhou's Huadu District was highlighted on July 10 during the "Explore Guangdong: Embrace Rural Charm" media event, where journalists and influencers visited the village to see how public-private collaboration has breathed new life into one of Lingnan's best-preserved historic settlements.
Dating back to the late Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279), Langtou Village is one of the finest examples of a traditional Cantonese clan village. It is home to one of the largest and best-preserved clusters of architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties in the Pearl River Delta, and its 700-year tradition of valuing education has produced generations of accomplished imperial scholars.
Despite its rich heritage, the village struggled for years with rural depopulation. Historic residences were left vacant, alleyways became overgrown, and Langtou Primary School, which closed in 2005, stood abandoned for nearly two decades as community life gradually faded.
The turning point came in 2021, when Huadu District launched an innovative partnership among the local government, the village collective, and the Guangdong Vipshop Philanthropic Foundation. The collaboration created a model that combines public investment, corporate philanthropy, and community participation to restore the village while preserving its cultural identity.
Local authorities invested more than 200 million yuan (about US$28 million) to restore historic buildings, upgrade infrastructure, and renovate waterways through carefully planned, small-scale interventions. The long-abandoned Langtou Primary School has also been restored and is scheduled to reopen to the public later this year as a community cultural space.
Meanwhile, the Guangdong Vipshop Philanthropic Foundation contributed nearly 300 million yuan to village planning, cultural development, and long-term operations. Unlike conventional commercial developments, all operating revenue generated by the project stays within the local community. The partnership has introduced several landmark cultural venues, including the ChunYangTai Arts and Cultural Centre and Hechunzhu Cultural Guesthouse.
The "Langtou Experiment" has drawn recognition in China and abroad. Its ChunYangTai Arts and Cultural Centre was named one of China's best rural public cultural spaces. In 2025, the Langtou renovation project was showcased at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, becoming the first Chinese rural revitalization initiative presented at the internationally renowned exhibition as a complete case of "rural construction in practice."
The village's revival has also brought tangible economic benefits to local residents. The Langtou model enables villagers to share in returns through property rentals, employment opportunities, and collective dividends. The village's collective income rose from 3.12 million yuan in 2022 to 4.5 million yuan in 2025, while villagers' per capita annual income increased by more than 4,000 yuan.
The growing tourism industry has created more than 200 local jobs, and many villagers now earn additional income by renting out previously vacant homes to visitors. According to local officials, the village welcomed more than 1.03 million visitors in 2025, bringing its cumulative visitor count over the past three years to 2.71 million.
Officials said the next phase will further expand the public-private-community partnership pioneered in Langtou, integrating heritage conservation, industrial development, and community well-being to offer a replicable model for rural revitalization across Guangdong.
Reporter | Li Fangwang
Photo | Li Fangwang
