Retaining youth

Among the proposals to draw young talents back to the village, a “digital nomad retreat center” stood out. The retreat center, which consists of a dining hall, café and home stay area, was designed as a “nursing” home for stressed-out youth working in urban areas.

The retreat center was jointly constructed and is managed by young people and local residents. Taking advantage of the natural beauty and artistic vibe of the village, the retreat center, along with a youth theater, aims to become a landmark leisure facility for the nomadic workers in Gejia, according to Hua.

Osmanthus cake and qingtuan, or sweet green rice balls, are two iconic local snacks in Gejia village. In a bid to promote the two traditional desserts, the students mapped out a tailor-made business plan.

“We have created the brand story of ‘100 years of ancestral recipe, three generations of inheritance’ specifically for qingtuan. By using the cultural symbols in the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature and the 24 Solar Terms, qingtuan can become a high-end product in the market,” Hua noted.

Party secretary Chen said that the students have offered practical proposals for rural development from an international perspective and vision, which effectively contributed to the rural revitalization.

The students put forward many suggestions for architecture design, brand design and marketing strategy for our cultural products. As a result, the project builds a bridge to connect friends from China and abroad, Chen noted.

Whether it is via livestreaming or social media platforms, they showcased the most authentic rural life to the world and allowed international friends to gain a better understanding of China’s rural areas, farmers and folk culture.

The arrival of young people has breathed new life into the villages and will attract more young people to return to further contribute to rural revitalization, said Chen.

Chen said that the villagers from Gejia will visit Harvard University in spring to share their stories with

global youth.