Century-year-old Bouyei village thrives again from relaxed lifestyle

In recent years, Longjing village – a Bouyei ethnic village with over 500 years of history in Huaxi district, Guiyang – has taken advantage of its Bouyei culture, local customs, and natural scenery to develop new industries such as batik workshops, distilleries, embroidery workshops, pottery workshops, tea houses, and homestays, attracting many tourists from home and abroad who wish to immerse themselves in the slow-paced rural life.

In Longjing village, many tourists can be seen strolling through the serene ancient alleyways. Some may head to the batik workshop to choose their favorite patterns, while some may go to the distillery to learn how to brew sweet Bouyei rice wine with the village's well water, guided by an elderly Bouyei villager.

This relaxed rural lifestyle has not only boosted rural development, but also led many young people to return to their hometowns to work or start businesses.

Ting Yingmei, 23, returned to Longjing village to work as a tour guide after graduating from university in 2023. She helps over 100 tourists daily, including many foreigners, explaining where the village's name comes from, its development history, its ethnic culture, and its ancient architecture.

In Ting's view, the villagers live a very leisurely life. They take morning walks in the village, play chess and chat in the pavilion at noon, sing folk songs by the river in the afternoon, and host bonfire parties in the evening. "It is precisely the simple yet rich life of the villagers that attracts tourists," she says.

Another example is Wang Bangli, a girl born in the 90s, who opened a tea house in the village with her husband and sold handmade batik crafts such as clothes, hats, scarves, earrings, and headbands.

Not far from Wang's tea house is the Longjing Market, where elderly villagers in blue cloth garments sell fresh fruits, vegetables, sausages, blood tofu, and other local specialties, with many tourists coming to take photos and taste the local flavors.

By transforming old houses into workshops, turning agricultural skills into handicrafts, and converting residences into homestays, Longjing village has injected new momentum into its development.