“Cultural relics and historic sites can be brought back to life for visitors using AR technology.”
“Setting up QR codes in front of scenic spots can make it easier for visitors to access information about the attractions.”
On August 8, the 4th AAUA World Villages Xiqiao Mountain International Summer Camp on Sustainable Development and Design officially commenced at Xiqiao Mountain. A total of 44 faculty members and outstanding student representatives from universities in six countries—China, the United States, France, Spain, Italy, and Japan—jointly explored pathways for the sustainable development of Xiqiao Mountain.
After 10 days of on-site research and in-depth discussions, the 4th AAUA World Villages Xiqiao Mountain International Summer Camp on Sustainable Development and Design held its final presentation on August 17 at Xiqiao Mountain. Six design teams presented their project outcomes focused on Xiqiao’s ancient villages, which may serve as references for future development plans of Xiqiao Mountain.
Yao Ling, Secretary-General of the Asian Urban and Architecture Alliance and head of the event organizer, expressed hope that by leveraging the creativity of young designers, the cultural and tourism experience of Xiqiao Mountain could be enhanced based on its existing foundation, and that its appeal could be elevated through a series of experimental and exploratory design projects.
● Huang Yihao, Sheng Zhengting, Zhang Jiayi
On-Site Research
Xiqiao Mountain “enchants” domestic and international faculty and students
During the event, faculty and students of the summer camp conducted on-site research in Xiqiao’s ancient villages, visiting several historic villages including Songtang Village, Shipai Village, and Yunlu Village, as well as nearby attractions and the Tingyin Lake area, while listening to guides introduce the history and culture of Xiqiao Mountain.
Whether students or faculty, the vast majority were visiting Xiqiao Mountain for the first time, and the mountain’s stunning natural scenery and profound cultural heritage left a deep impression on everyone.
Huang Jiajun, a member of Group D from Columbia University, felt that scenic spots on Xiqiao Mountain such as the Square Bamboo Grove and Peach Blossom Garden were very distinctive. In the surrounding areas of Xiqiao Mountain, one can also experience Cantonese opera, kung fu, and other Lingnan cultural elements, making the scenic area and its environs rich in cultural depth.
Huang Jiajun had already participated in the 2nd AAUA World Villages Anlong International Summer Camp on Sustainable Development and Design in 2017, where he visited villages in Anlong, Guizhou. He believes that Xiqiao Mountain’s advantage lies in its relatively well-developed infrastructure within the scenic area and the more developed surroundings, offering considerable room for growth.
Wu Leilei, a member of Group A from Harvard University, stated that as a person from northern China, it was her first visit to Xiqiao Mountain, where she experienced the charm of the Lingnan water town. The mulberry-based fish ponds, developed since the Ming and Qing dynasties, represent a complete and scientific man-made ecological agricultural landscape, and the entire scenic area has very promising potential for tourism development.
Zhu Haikun, Associate Professor at Kunming University of Science and Technology and faculty mentor of Group F, who has visited many distinctive villages across China, spoke highly of Songtang Village in Xiqiao. After conducting an on-site visit with his team, he discovered that Songtang Village boasts profound cultural resources and is a village densely concentrated with Neo-Confucianism and Hanlin culture.
In Zhu Haikun’s view, Songtang Village has a rich collection of ancient architecture such as ancestral halls, family temples, and private schools. The entire village has deep cultural roots, a well-preserved layout, and serves as a natural museum.
Cheng Qiming, Professor at the School of Architecture, Central Academy of Fine Arts, believed after visiting Xiqiao Mountain that the surrounding area enjoys convenient transportation, not far from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, or Hong Kong. With the growing emphasis on health and wellness among modern urban dwellers and an increasing aging population, there is huge potential for developing the health industry.
Innovative Design
Using new technologies to “revitalize” old villages
At the final presentation that day, the six groups showcased their refined design proposals, offering design concepts for the development planning of Xiqiao Mountain from multiple perspectives.
“During our on-site visits to the ancient villages, we noticed that visitors could scan QR codes at fruit stalls to make purchases, which led us to think about using new technologies to ‘revitalize’ old villages and introduce the concept of tech-enabled travel,” said Maria Victoria Lo Ré, a member of Group D from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.
The D-group team proposed collecting historical materials from villagers and various sources to create a database for the ancient village. Visitors could then scan QR codes in front of scenic spots via mobile phones or other clients to access information about the attractions, as well as see historically reconstructed views of the sites using AR technology.
William M Taylor, founder and director of the Los Angeles Architecture and Design College in the United States and faculty mentor of Group D, previously worked at Disney. Based on his past experience, he judged that visitors need very direct and straightforward ways to understand culture, and that QR codes and AR technology are highly worthwhile methods to try.
In addition to introducing new technologies, D-group members also suggested transforming the various ancient villages on Xiqiao Mountain into exhibition halls with different themes based on their unique characteristics, providing artists with art creation environments away from communities, and turning the villages into art hubs to attract tourists from around the world.
Wu Leilei’s Group A members, after visiting Xiqiao Mountain, believed there is still significant room to enhance the connectivity between the Xiqiao Mountain Scenic Area and several nearby major attractions. Current visitor modes and demographics are mostly day-trip self-drive tours from residents of nearby cities.
The group suggested that Xiqiao Mountain could rebuild the relationship between tourism, ecology, and the economy, diversify travel experiences, develop unique tourism approaches for each village in the mountain, make rational use of natural and cultural resources, and form a tourism industry chain. For example, Shipai Village, located on the northern side of Xiqiao Mountain and close to the scenic area’s north gate, adjacent to Baofeng Temple and the South Sea Guanyin Scenic Area, could accommodate long-stay formats such as retirement homes, rehabilitation centers, and research studios; Yunlu Village, next to the ruins of Baofeng Temple and the Square Bamboo Scenic Area, with abundant water resources and large crop-growing areas nearby, could introduce formats like fruit-picking experiences, green farms, and supporting dining options.
“Planning cannot be done in isolation,” said Agostino Petrillo, Professor of Urban Sociology at the Polytechnic University of Milan and faculty mentor of Group A. The current business format of Xiqiao Mountain is short-term sightseeing. The group hopes to connect the various villages on the mountain and strengthen ties with nearby attractions, integrating resources so that visitors can stay longer in Xiqiao Mountain.
Openness and Inclusiveness
Sparking discussions among domestic and international scholars on smart upgrades to business formats
This summer camp is the first open event in Xiqiao focused on ancient village research. Centered around the historical and cultural background of Xiqiao Mountain and its ancient villages, it conducts a systematic study to revitalize humanistic resources from an international perspective, sorts through and explores the resources and characteristics of Xiqiao Mountain and its various villages, and formulates development mechanisms suitable for their self-operation and self-management.
By referring to the design proposals from each group, it will help activate and enhance the development potential of Xiqiao Mountain and its ancient villages, form competitive development models, and explore a sustainable ecological development path suitable for Xiqiao Mountain and its villages.
Relevant officials from Xiqiao Town stated that the research outcomes of the summer camp are not only reflections on architectural design but also encompass comprehensive development studies across economics, culture, and more. Leveraging the professional knowledge and perspectives of domestic and international designers to consider the planning and development of Xiqiao Mountain and its ancient villages has a positive impact on improving tourism support facilities on Xiqiao Mountain, accelerating the comprehensive enhancement of the scenic area, as well as the conservation, revitalization, transformation, and reuse of ancient villages.
The year 2018 is the “Year of Leapfrog Improvement” in the “Three-Year Action Plan for the Optimization and Upgrading of Xiqiao Mountain.” Xiqiao strives to achieve the implementation of boutique hotel renovation projects and ancient village renovation projects, further strengthen its position as a research and inheritance base for Lingnan Neo-Confucianism culture, and foster a more clustered development of tourism and cultural creative industries.
Focusing on the seven ancient Lingnan villages on Xiqiao Mountain and ancient village resources at the foot of the mountain such as Songtang Village, Jian Village, and Yanqiao Village, Xiqiao plans to introduce investors to develop these villages—on the basis of conservation—into the best experiential destinations of Lingnan folk culture, integrating boutique homestays, specialty dining, and cultural creativity.
With the continuous improvement of transportation infrastructure and cultural-tourism supporting facilities in both Xiqiao Mountain and the Tingyin Lake area at the foot of the mountain, favorable development conditions and broad prospects have been created for the revitalization and upgrade of ancient villages and the implementation of projects. The positioning of Xiqiao Town as the “Best Experiential Destination for Lingnan Cultural Tourism” has become even clearer.
