Seeking the Charm of Ancient Towns, Experiencing the Unique Appeal of Chinese-Style Agricultural Modernization
Recently, a team of Chinese and foreign teachers and students led by Professor Ren Xiaofei, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts of Jiangsu University, went to Baoyan Town, Zhenjiang City, to carry out field research for the "Understanding Contemporary China" competition. The activity received a warm reception and full accompaniment from Xie Ran, Mayor of Baoyan Town and an alumnus of the School of Liberal Arts of Jiangsu University, opening a wonderful journey for the team, especially international students, to deeply experience the culture of Chinese ancient towns and rural revitalization.
A Millennium-Old Village Shows Ancient Charms, Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritance Revitalizes Vitality
The first stop of the research was Dingjiao Village. Also known as Jinjiao and Dinglu, the village’s name hides a fascinating legend. In ancient times, a woman was washing yarn by the river when a golden ox suddenly charged at her. In a panic, she hit the ox’s horn with a wooden mallet, and the golden ox fled, leaving behind a glittering golden horn—thus the name "Dingjiao" came into being. Wandering around the village, the Tongji River flows gently, and the time-honored residential houses and distinctive buildings quietly tell stories of the years. With the explanation of the village Party Secretary, international students experienced the unique charm of this millennium-old village in an immersive way.
Subsequently, the group arrived at Liujia Village. Under the leadership of Secretary Yao, Party Secretary of Tuanjie Village, the picturesque scroll of Liujia Village, themed "Wine Aroma and Fishermen’s Songs · Riverside Charm of Liujia", unfolded slowly. In 2023, Liujia Village was awarded the title of Zhenjiang Characteristic Pastoral Village. As the core inheritance site of two intangible cultural heritage items of Baoyan Town—the craftsmanship of making dry mixed noodles and the craftsmanship of rice wine brewing—the village has taken a distinctive path of rural revitalization and common prosperity by relying on the village collective economic cooperative and integrating high-quality rice, intangible cultural heritage rice wine, Baoyan delicacies and other resources. The neat streets and the unique rice wine brewing and tasting hall amazed the international students.
Lijiabian Village brought another surprise to international students with its idyllic scenery. The loquat trees heavy with fruits at the village entrance, the eggplants just setting in the villagers’ vegetable gardens, and the lively and friendly little white dogs formed a warm picture of rural life. International students took photos with the dogs one after another, and their laughter echoed throughout the village.
Tracing Footsteps on the Ancient Street to Recall the Past, Exploring the Winery to Savor the Mellow Aroma
After a short rest, the group walked into the ancient street of Baoyan Town under the leadership of Mayor Xie Ran. Stretching from east to west, the ancient street consists of three stone-paved sections: East Street, Middle Street and West Street, which are well-preserved and rank among the largest and most intact stone streets in Zhenjiang. Wandering along it, a simple and unsophisticated charm greets the eye. When they learned that the hometown of Cheng Mo, a renowned photographer, was on this ancient street, everyone visited the Cheng Mo Photography Exhibition Hall with great interest. Through a series of precious photos, international students gained a more intuitive understanding of the history of New China.
Baoyan rice wine is famous far and wide, and the research team certainly did not miss it. Laoyue Winery is an important inheritor of the Baoyan rice wine brewing craftsmanship. Adhering to the craftsmanship for four generations, its third-generation inheritor Yue Jialing is even a representative inheritor of the Zhenjiang Intangible Cultural Heritage—Baoyan rice wine brewing craftsmanship. In 2021, the winery was rated as a "Famous, Special and High-Quality" small workshop in Jiangsu Province. Stepping into the winery, a rich aroma of wine greets the nostrils; walking into the wine cellar, the array of hundreds of half-person-high wine vats, each capable of holding 500 kilograms of fine wine, is breathtaking. The person in charge explained in detail the fermentation conditions of rice wine, demonstrated the wine extraction process, and finally invited everyone to taste the newly brewed rice wine. International students who had never tried Chinese liquor took a sip and exclaimed "it’s too spicy", while those who knew about wine savored the unique flavor of Baoyan rice wine—elegant honey aroma and soft and smooth taste on the palate.
This field research in Baoyan Town brought a rich cultural feast to Chinese and foreign teachers and students. International students sincerely praised the profound heritage of traditional Chinese culture and the richness and beauty of modern rural areas. They all said that the research was fruitful, which not only broadened their horizons, but also accumulated abundant materials, laying a solid foundation for the upcoming "Understanding Contemporary China" competition. In the future, it is believed that more international students will walk into China, understand China and fall in love with China through such activities.
(Reported by Cheng Keyi & Ren Xiaofei)
