The project is located in Beidouxi Town, Xupu County, a rural area of Hunan Province, south-central China, which has been rated as one of the “Top 10 Characteristic Cultural Tourism Towns in Hunan in 2020”. Besides, it is the famous “Huayao Cultural Characteristic Town” and “High-speed Rail Star Town”. The characteristics of Huayao villages are perfectly integrated with the original ecological natural landscape.
The high-speed rail has brought new opportunities to the formerly quiet Beidouxi Town. However, such opportunities are fortunately not occupied by over-developed cities, and the villagers have not been forced to leave the land they rely on because of the arrival of the high-speed rail. While maintaining the roots and nostalgia, it ushered in a new transformation. They are farmers who are rooted in this land, they are the owners of homestays who welcome guests from all over the world, and they are non-genetic people who inherit the cultural foundation. More and more villagers are returning to this fertile land to start a new rural lifestyle. High-speed rail shortens the distance between urban and rural areas, and links the lives of urban and rural people. The villagers live and work in peace and contentment, and the tourists enjoy the mountains and rivers.
Harmony between Human and Nature
The Xuefeng Mountain Range in southwestern Hunan stretches for thousands of miles. The mountains are surrounded by clouds and hidden in the forest. Wander through the endless paddy fields, chickens and dogs can be heard. Spring is singing and dancing. The villagers are relaxed and friendly. At the end of the village, traditional dwellings are well-arranged. Blue tiles and white walls, and characteristic cornices, create a heritage aesthetic. Get away from the hustles and bustles, go back to nature and enjoy life here.
The blending of the features of the ancient Yao Village creates a natural and harmonious aesthetic. The imaginative and unconstrained designers have learned to control here. They walked around every corner of the village, looking for local stones, stone walls and wishing trees, and used materials that belong to the land to build the village of their dreams.
Industry Revitalization – Combination of Research and Study Tourism Tourists here can enjoy the natural beauty of beautiful mountains and clear waters and integrate into the local folk life. Learn to embroider, watch traditional opera, appreciate dragon lanterns and Yao’s singing and dancing, enjoy farming, etc.
Beidouxi Town is an important node of Huaihua’s new development strategy and tourism development in the south (research tourism + cultural leisure). It has achieved three goals of Beidouxi Town’s tourism development, including building a leisure tourism destination, developing a distribution service industry chain and establishing high-end homestay community. The project features advantageous folk customs and cultural resources with the design theme of “intangible cultural heritage” life in the courtyard.
Inspired by the daily life of the Huayao ethnic group and supported by the natural setting of the village, the project introduced mountains and rivers into the courtyard. Tourists can walk through it to fully experience the Huayao ethnic traditions, intangible cultural heritage and lifestyles.
Integrate and sort out the scattered streamlines of the residential buildings to form an enclosed courtyard, which is convenient for homestay management. The Huayao culture is integrated into the details of the landscape so that tourists can feel it themselves. Selecting local plants created an atmosphere of returning to nature and living in the countryside.
Xupu Pingxi Homestay
Location: Beidouxi Town, Xupu County, Hunan Province, P.R. China.
Landscape design: Guangzhou S.P.I Design Co., Ltd