Huwaibu

Huwaibu

Huwaibu is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Located in Huwaibu Village, Xihu District, Hangzhou, this place has a beautiful nickname — “Huwaibu, the Village of Paintings.” As the name suggests, it is a locale deeply intertwined with painting and art. It is precisely this unique artistic atmosphere that makes Huwaibu Village stand out in its beauty.

After Huwaibu Village set its development direction as an art, culture, and creativity-themed scenic town in 2009, it underwent three years of renovation. In 2011, it was listed among the first batch of characteristic towns in Hangzhou. In September 2013, it successfully applied for national 3A-level tourist attraction status. It is now working towards the goal of becoming a national 5A-level tourist attraction, in conjunction with the development of the Longwu Tea Town. Currently, the entire village has attracted about 90 studios, accounting for as much as 60% of the total number of local farming households.

Natural Resources

At present, leveraging its unique natural resources and rich cultural heritage, and supported by the art academy, Huwaibu Village has initiated three art communes and transformed five nearby farmhouses into artist studios, with a total construction area of approximately 6000 square meters. More than twenty artists have set up studios here, focusing on oil painting, traditional Chinese painting, sculpture, ceramics, and photography. Moving forward, the village plans to bring art to more households, using these hubs to inspire the wider community. It will also delve deeper into the culture of Zhu De, plant pomegranate trees across the village, develop pomegranate-themed landscapes, and strive to create an integrated art village that combines “pomegranate farms, historical culture, and artistic creativity.” The successful development of this model is expected to fundamentally transform the village’s economic growth model, broaden income sources for residents, increase their earnings, and thereby accelerate the pace of new rural construction in Xihu District, Hangzhou.

Historical Background

Between 1400 and 1500 during the reigns of Emperor Yingzong or Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, ancestors of the Qiu family relocated from Ningbo to Xinliangting (now Tangjiaqiao), and later moved to the current location where they settled and thrived. According to records, the area was named “Huwaibu” (Outer Paulownia Dock) due to the lush growth of paulownia trees there. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Huwaibu Village evolved from mutual aid groups into the Huwaibu Agricultural Cooperative. In 1956, it merged with Daqing to form the Jinxing Advanced Agricultural Cooperative. In 1958, it came under the jurisdiction of the Shangsi People’s Commune. In 1961, it became the Huwaibu Production Brigade of the Longwu People’s Commune. In 1984, it was renamed Huwaibu Village, a name it retains to this day.