The newly recognized villages are Huanggang in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jikayi in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Digang in Zhejiang, and Dongluo in east China's Jiangsu Province.

With these additions, a total of 19 Chinese villages have now been recognized as "Best Tourism Villages."

These four villages serve as windows for the world to gain a better understanding of China's rural development in the new era, showcasing the vitality and creativity of the countryside.

Cultural heritage thrives in Huanggang village

Huanggang village, situated in Shuangjiang town, Liping county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou, is a living museum of the Dong ethnic group's culture. Traditional Dong architecture — including drum towers and wind-and-rain bridges that ingeniously combine bridges, corridors, verandas and pavilions — dots the village landscape. Intangible cultural heritage crafts such as Dong costumes and indigo dyeing also continue to flourish.

Italian tourist Gaia Carancini and her husband marveled at the well-preserved wooden structures, noting that these buildings are not just tourist attractions; they are where the villagers actually live.

                                             Image credit:en.people.cn 

Wu Chenglong, 48, is a provincial-level inheritor of the Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group. "Huanggang is the birthplace of the Grand Song performed by men's choirs. The song is passed down from generation to generation," said Wu, who has been singing the Grand Song for nearly 40 years.

In this village with a history of more than 800 years, the Grand Song is not merely performed on stage but woven into everyday life and festival celebrations.

Inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, the Grand Song has enabled Huanggang to establish a professional heritage preservation team.

"In recent years, our county has organized village singing contests. We've brought the Grand Song to the world stage and attracted international visitors," Wu said with excitement. This summer, musicians from several European countries visited Huanggang and performed the Grand Song with local villagers.

"The active inheritance of culture is the key to Huanggang's success," said Tang Dacai, Party chief and director of the culture, sports, radio, television and tourism bureau of Liping county. A holistic protection approach has brought new vitality to Huanggang. In 2024, the village received 36,800 tourist visits, generating 16.6 million yuan ($2.34 million) in tourism revenue.

Huanggang has developed distinctive programs such as intangible cultural heritage workshops, eco-friendly bed-and-breakfast hotels, and educational tour bases themed on farming culture, encouraging greater participation among villagers while pursuing a sustainable development model that integrates culture, ecology and tourism.

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Congxiao

Editor Ⅱ: Bao Gang

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong