A view of Xinchuan Village in Changxing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, on 24 May 2023 (XINHUA)

As an Indian journalist who has lived and worked in China for more than a decade, I have witnessed firsthand the astounding pace of China’s urban transformation - high-speed rail networks linking megacities, digital payment systems reshaping daily life, smart manufacturing emerging across industrial zones, and modern infrastructure spreading nationwide. Yet, my recent eight-day media tour to Zhejiang Province offered a new and deeply thought-provoking perspective. 

For the first time, I experienced rural China not just through data or policy reports, but up close - walking through villages, meeting residents, interviewing officials and entrepreneurs, and observing the real dynamics behind China’s rural revitalisation and common prosperity model. China’s rural revitalisation, a strategy introduced at the 19th Communist Party of China National Congress in 2017, promotes economic prosperity and overall development of rural areas. It builds on the nationwide poverty alleviation campaign that eradicated absolute poverty by late 2020. 

The tour took us across Ningbo, Huzhou, and Jiaxing - three cities showcasing China’s ambition to build high-quality development demonstration zones for common prosperity. I visited over 10 villages, industrial projects, rural tourism communities, cultural innovation parks, eco-agriculture zones, art and heritage centres, and modern cooperative agricultural bases. 

Although I have explored many places in China over the years - from Beijing to Kashgar, from Shenzhen to Harbin - this journey was different. It revealed how China’s countryside has become a laboratory for innovation, shaping new models that elevate not only economics but also dignity, culture, environment, and community values. It also prompted an important question for India: What lessons can we draw from China’s rural transformation to uplift millions living in villages and small towns? 

Joining hands 

Our first stop was Wucun Baotuan (Five Villages Together) in Changxing County, Huzhou. Here, five neighbouring villages created a cooperative mechanism to share resources, industries, talent, and tourism revenues. Through a “strong-helping-weak” strategy led by Fangyi Village, a tourism association was formed, uniting homestays, training shared chefs and guides, and building community workshops. Today, over 300 villagers - especially left-behind labour groups and low-income residents - have stable employment. 

A local representative explained, “When villages compete, everyone loses. When we unite, everyone wins. By sharing resources and talent, we make development faster and stronger.” 

This model highlights the power of unity. In India, villages often develop in isolation, lacking coordination or resource sharing. If clusters of villages collaborated on agriculture, tourism, digital enterprises, or skill-training, rural value chains could expand dramatically. 

One of the most inspiring examples was Xinchuan Village, Changxing County, built through 30 years of partnership with Tianneng Group, a leading battery technology enterprise. This village-enterprise cooperation model transformed Xinchuan into a prosperous community and a national demonstration site for digital governance and industrial rural revitalisation. 

India’s rural economy lacks such structured partnerships. While major corporations exist, they rarely work directly with villages to empower residents. Public-private-community partnerships could be a powerful pathway for rural development. 

Utilising local resources  

In Yucun Village, Anji County, President Xi Jinping first proposed the principle “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” in 2005. Yucun once depended on mining, which severely damaged its environment. Closing the mines seemed risky, but through eco-tourism, cultural tourism, and green industries, the village reinvented itself. In 2024 alone, it welcomed 1.22 million tourists. 

A former miner now runs a small tourism business. “Before, we earned money by destroying our mountains. Now we earn money by protecting them. This is real development.” 

Walking through Yucun, I realised sustainable growth is not just a slogan - it is lived reality. The contrast with many rural areas in India, suffering from pollution or poorly planned tourism, is striking.  

In Jiaxing City, culture and digital creativity are reshaping rural spaces. The Qianliji Creative Industrial Park, transformed from old grain warehouses, hosts international art exhibitions, immersive extended reality (XR) experiences, and creative cultural products. 

A young entrepreneur running a homestay said, “The real value of the countryside is peace, beauty, and culture. People don’t travel to only see scenery - they travel to experience life.” 

The Himalaya Taocang Ideal Village project integrates digital music festivals, virtual reality theatres, immersive libraries and homestays, attracting young travellers and entrepreneurs. Its project director said, “Culture attracts young people, technology retains them, and industry supports them.” 

Meanwhile, the modern folk painting base in Xiuzhou District has trained nearly 2,000 rural painters, many of whom now sell artwork internationally.  

Throughout the tour, I spoke with elderly villagers returning to farming, youth entrepreneurs coming back from cities, artists revitalising rural traditions, and dedicated local officials. Rural revitalisation in China is not just related to income - it is a transformation of mindset, offering opportunity and hope.