Page 45 - JCAU-6-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Regenerating tradition: Rural revitalization

artificial reconstructions and performances created and diversified plant corridors, within and between areas
exclusively for tourist entertainment. of industrialized agricultural production. This approach
The outputs from the ecocultural systems offer aims not only to retain agricultural efficiencies but also
additional economic possibilities. Although the cultivation to contribute greatly to the preservation of the Li family’s
of Shanlan rice on the slopes will be limited, it offers farming culture. Green infrastructural practices in cities
unique food and wine production. Compared to mass- demonstrate that it is neither possible nor necessary to fully
produced commodities, these products might become restore the landscape to its pre-modern state or return people
high-value-added ecoagricultural items. The vegetation to pre-modern ways of production and living. Similarly, in
corridor system will also provide sufficient raw materials the Li villages’ rural environment, green infrastructure
for the traditional textile and tie-dyeing crafts of the Li landscape design could underpin the ecologically and
people, offering potential sales for handmade fabric and economically sustainable development of Yulong Village.
clothing products crafted from natural and ecological Green infrastructure has the potential to realize the mutual
sources. Sustainably harvested rosewood in the vegetation support and promotion of ecological security, cultural
corridor not only can provide value to the ecosystem but heritage, and economic development in Li villages. The
could also be harvested sustainably to generate additional projection is that this implementation will re-establish the
profits for the residents of Yulong Village. The economic traditional cultural space of the Li people, thereby reinforcing
diversification brought about by green infrastructure the connection between people and landscape.
improves the ecological security of Yulong Village. The Fundamental to our study on new approaches to
residents’ agricultural production activities may become green infrastructure design and the communication of
less precarious, and they may remain stable sources of tradition through new cartographies is the integration of
income, reducing the incentives to over-exploit land morphological landscape design processes and field studies.
resources for short-term gains (Figure 16). MacHarg’s layering design method, combined with other
advanced cartographic technologies, spatializes a top-down
4. Discussion view of the restoration. Field study mapping captures the
The study found that in contrast to modern worldviews narrative of village residents’ culture. Instead of relying on
founded on Enlightenment humanism and Western a government edict, the society’s active involvement in the
scientific processes, the Li family’s farming tradition implementation process of a bottom-up green infrastructure
in Hainan, China derives knowledge from perceptual strategy would be essential to empower villagers to
understanding and reverence for their natural environment. participate in the design and creation of green infrastructure.
This knowledge, characterized by a conscious nature- This approach will not only meet the actual needs of the Li
based practicum and spiritual mystique, has given rise to residents but also leverage their practical knowledge of plant
traditional values emphasizing the conservation of natural collection, soil care, Shanlan rice cultivation, and water
resources and a labor ethic of moderation. These values management to inform this rural green infrastructure.
have enabled the Li people of Yulong to foster a long-term While this approach to green infrastructure design
and stable coexistence with their landscape. However, appears to be a potential method for rural revitalization,
these ideas, often absent in modern societies focused it must be acknowledged that rural revitalization is still in
on productivity and wealth, have been transformed by the exploratory stage. In reality, it faces challenges such
industrial agriculture in the Li village environment. While as the ambiguous definition of stakeholders’ rights and
new agricultural technologies bring beneficial efficiencies, insufficient financial subsidies from local governments due
they also leave a legacy of ecological and environmental to the uncertainty of relevant policies and legislation. In
erosion. Only a few remnants of vernacular life in Yulong addition, there is still a considerable amount of traditional
Village and its agricultural fields have remained. Li family’s farming culture that deserves further study, such
This design research has explored Li family’s farming as Li family legends, stories, and music, which have the
traditions and applied the theory and practices of green potential to provide important references and inspirations
infrastructure – a greening paradigm usually deployed in for the design of green infrastructure in the Li villages.
cities and parklands – to discover potential avenues for More accurate geographic information collection of the
restoring ecological vitality and human connectivity to Li villages and more in-depth sociological surveys could
the environment of Yulong Village. Drawing inspirations improve the precision of the morphology design of the Li
from urban models of green infrastructural practices, this family’s green infrastructure. Establishing a more effective
research highlights the potential of implementing nature- consultation and communication platform with the Li
based solutions, such as systematic water management residents to realize a more sophisticated participatory

Volume 6 Issue 2 (2024) 15 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1304