Page 76 - JCAU-6-3

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Elite involvement in rural revitalization

Figure 8. Damaged Yonghe Academy. Source: Photo by the authors
Figure 11. Doorway of Gulang village. Source: Photo by the authors

Figure 9. Damaged stone tablets commemorating nominees who passed
the highest-level Imperial Examinations. Source: Photo by the authors Figure 12. Steles commemorating nominees who passed the highest-level
Imperial Examinations. Source: Photo by the authors

lectures, importing fresh knowledge and information from
the outside world into the village. Moreover, with the help
of local organizations and village cadres, Gulang village
regularly hosts various cultural and sports activities.

3.3.2. The renewal and reuse of old buildings
Shixiong Wu initiated a project to integrate a 100-year-
old memorial archway with the village’s rustic charm and
historical tombs, aiming to establish a leisure park that
highlights the village’s traditional culture and offers leisure
and entertainment options for the villagers (Figure 13).

3.3.3. Promoting rural development through art and
literature

Figure 10. Wall painting in Gulang village. Source: Photo by the authors Together with local artists, such as Yan Kong, Shixiong Wu
launched art courses, organized concerts, and introduced
strategically placing them throughout the village to foster urban cultural education to the countryside. He compiled
a sense of community (Figure 12). He frequently hosts materials on local esthetic and art education for rural

Volume 6 Issue 3 (2024) 7 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.2940