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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Regenerating tradition: Rural revitalization

material living standards have substantially improved for After more than 70 years of “rural reorganization” and
significant portions of the world’s population, ecological “opening up” in China, the economic livelihoods and living
problems have emerged as a serious threat to humanity’s conditions of rural inhabitants have prospered. However,
continued survival. the abandonment of traditional agricultural practices
Since entering the academic and professional lexicon in favor of modern industrialized agricultural processes
in the United States in the 1990s (Seiwert & Rößler, has led to the erosion of intangible cultural heritages
2020), the concept of green infrastructure has found wide among rural ethnic minorities and the degradation of the
application in urban planning, urban forestry, and urban broad-scale environment. This development prompted
th
greening efforts in both the United States and Europe. a reframing of modernization in 2022. The 20 National
Grabowski et al. define green infrastructure as “a system Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed
of interconnected ecosystems, ecological-technological a “rural revitalization” with a new form of common
hybrids, and built infrastructures that provide contextual prosperity, which acknowledges the harmonious
social, environmental, and technological functions and coexistence of humans and nature. This proposal builds
benefits” (Grabowski et al., 2022, p. 158). It now underpins on various suggestions by Chinese scholars, advocating
many government planning policies worldwide. While for the development of high ecological service value in
its original focus was primarily on the protection, ecoagriculture, rural cultural tourism, ecological capital
enhancement, and management of stormwater and river deepening, and agricultural finance innovation, among
systems, ecological services, and biodiversity conservation other options. These are considered key initiatives to
(Ying et al., 2022), it is increasingly called on to reconcile re-establish the cultural landscape of the countryside
the trade-offs between ecological function and human land (Tong, 2023; Liu, 2023; Zhang, 2021; Wen and Lu, 2021;
use demands, particularly in the face of climate change. As Xiang, 2023). The government’s 2023 “No.1 Document on
a planning concept, green infrastructure “brings attention Rural Revitalization” recognizes the benefit of “in-depth
to how diverse types of urban ecosystems and built farming culture inheritance and protection projects, and
infrastructures function in relation to one another to meet strengthening the protection and utilization of important
socially negotiated goals.” (Grabowski et al., 2022, p. 158). agricultural cultural heritage.” However, implementation
of these measures will not be easy. The loss of cultural
More recently, the community and cultural value of traditions in the earlier periods of “rural reorganization”
green infrastructure has become a subject of extensive has already generated a lack of knowledge and authenticity
debate in academic literature. Kati and Jari (2015), for in many expressions of rural culture (Liu & Xu, 2022).
example, emphasize the importance of the multiple
meanings and values generated by community interests in Using Li Yulong Village in the middle reaches of the
green infrastructural design, advocating for the integration Changhua River of Hainan Island as a case study, this
of locally derived values as part of the techno-economic research investigates how the integration of modern
planning strategy for urban ecosystems. Orantes et al. green infrastructure methods with traditional agricultural
(2017), in their study of Yesan County’s green infrastructure practices might promote rural revitalization and enhance the
program in South Korea, highlight the increasingly future development of rural villages in China. Some scholars
important role of cultural heritage and religious values in have already explored the human-ecological connections
the green infrastructure planning process. Razzaghi Asl embedded in the traditional practices of the Li family
and Pearsall (2022) conclude that green infrastructure (Chang, 2012), suggesting that Li family’s farming culture
has the potential to integrate small-scale design with demonstrates profound human-environment relations in
local governance models. These studies suggest that green both Li villages and farmlands (Qi et al., 2022). However, a
infrastructure can be interpreted in various ways to support gap still exists in current research regarding the regeneration
diverse sociocultural contexts, although the current debate of ecological landscapes based on Li family’s traditional
remains primarily centered around urbanism. farming culture. In this respect, green infrastructure holds
the potential to leverage Li family’s traditional knowledge
The recent rapid urbanization in China has provided
a rich testing ground for green infrastructure research and generate community-based practices suited to rural
through urban case studies. However, there is a notable gap revitalization in Yulong Village, effectively integrating
in research concerning innovation in green infrastructure sustainable ecology, culture, and economy.
design methods suitable for rural settings and environments In this article, we first analyze the ecological and
in the countryside (Shao et al., 2023; Yang et al., 2023; economic predicament of Yulong through historical
Ni et al., 2023). This article seeks to contribute to this materials, documentation, field investigation, and satellite
developing area of research. imagery. Second, by examining historical paintings and

Volume 6 Issue 2 (2024) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1304