A different view
Taste of countryside life found in Shanghai outskirts
To most people, the general impression of Shanghai is that of a megacity filled with modern, towering skyscrapers that are illuminated by a stunning array of neon lights come nightfall. The streets in the city are notoriously busy, and are often flanked by the glitzy shop fronts of luxury brands.
The word tranquillity is unlikely to be used to describe the city. The same can be said for the term “bed and breakfast”. After all, Shanghai is not known as a countryside destination.
But this could soon change, with Chinesestyle bed and breakfast businesses, also known as minsu, sprouting up in districts on the outskirts of Shanghai to provide travelers and weary city dwellers a different experience of the city.
The development of minsu in China first started as privately owned guesthouses around tourist sites. But because there are no well-known tourist sites in Shanghai’s countryside areas, minsu in the city are limited to the water town of Zhujiajiao in Qingpu district, the beach area in Jinshan district, the Chuansha area where Disneyland is, and Chongming Island.
Ban Ri Xian, named after an ancient Chinese poem, is located on the idyllic Chongming Island in northwest Shanghai. This farm-style minsu offers guests the chance to experience rural life through activities such as planting rice seedlings, picking fruit, harvesting vegetables as well as fishing and watching birds.
Business has been brisk. Ban Ri Xian is always fully booked during the weekends, either by families or corporate team building groups.
The minsu, which is owned by Liu Haiqing, 45, has been singled out by the officials of the local Gangxi township as an exemplar of “rural vitalization” that others could follow. This rural vitalization strategy, proposed by President Xi Jinping at the 19th National Congress of the CPC a year ago, forms part of China’s efforts to boost the development of rural areas through tourism.
“Minsu can link many things together,” said Kang Qian, deputy head of Gangxi.
“It can incorporate experience programs, dining and other activities that would make tourists stay and spend.”
Among those working at this minsu is Xing Haiyan, a Chongming native who previously worked in a marketing firm in downtown Shanghai.
“I took up this job because I wanted to show people what countryside life is like. I grew up on a farm so I know the joys of living in such an environment,” said Xing, whose job involves organizing activities such as one-day family programs at the farm.
Xing is also in charge of the social media accounts, and it was through this medium that Geng Lijun discovered Ban Ri Xian. Geng, who has lived in downtown Shanghai all her life, loved the environment so much that she visited the minsu several times last year. These short getaways were also a good way for her son to learn things outside the classroom, she said.
“Time seems to pass more slowly when you’re in the countryside. I feel like I can ponder about life and think about what I want to pursue.”
Xing does not plan on being an employee for the rest of her life; she plans to set up her own farm-style minsu by the end of this year. The planned 15-room building would occupy two hectares of land. With local authorities striving to transform Chongming into a world-class ecological island, Xing is optimistic about her business venture because she expects more tourists to visit.
“I also want to inspire other farmers to renovate their own houses to a minsu. It will help them earn extra money in addition to the income they get from farming.”
Another area where more and more such businesses are emerging is in eastern Shanghai, near the Disneyland Resort. Since the theme park opened in 2016 many nearby villagers have transformed their houses into bed and breakfast establishments to provide an alternative to the pricey hotel rooms at Disneyland. As part of efforts to regulate the growing market, the Pudong New Area government issued guidelines regarding the development of such businesses in 2016. Authorities issued the city’s first minsu business license last year.