The "Cittaslow" is a new urban model that gradually emerged in Italy in 1999, aiming to seek a way to organically combine modern technology with traditional lifestyles in modernized cities, allowing people not only to enjoy the many conveniences brought by modernization but also to fully enjoy the pleasures of life. The local residents lead a leisurely pace of life, are warm and hospitable, maintain close neighborly relations, and enjoy a regular, healthy, and happy life, making it an ideal destination for tourists from bustling and noisy big cities to live and travel!
Recently, the Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County Tourism Bureau, in collaboration with the Southern TV program "Trendy Holidays," has taken Fuchuan's accession to the Cittaslow International Network as an opportunity. Leveraging Fuchuan's unique "slow tourism" resources, it will present a "nostalgic, leisurely, health-oriented, and relaxing" "slow-paced" lifestyle feast for the audience and extend an invitation to audiences in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau to visit Fuchuan and enjoy life at a slower pace. By then, Fuchuan's vibrant sea of flowers, picturesque scenery, and the harmony of natural ecology are sure to amaze visitors.
Fuchuan is a border city with tens of thousands of years of primitive civilization, five thousand years of historical culture, and over two thousand years of county history. "Half the city is mountains and rivers, half is buildings; every stretch of scenery is filled with emotion." Ancient mountains, springs from the Spring and Autumn period, roads from the Qin and Han dynasties, villages from the Tang and Song dynasties, and cities from the Ming and Qing dynasties have nurtured modern people, forming a model of a slow-paced lifestyle!
As an important commercial and travel post station on the ancient Xiaoshao Road, Fuchuan boasts profound historical and cultural heritage, rich Yao ethnic folk customs, a good natural ecological environment, beautiful rural pastoral scenery, and well-preserved ancient dwellings. It has remained magnificent through a thousand years of vicissitudes and continues to be spectacular through a thousand autumns of history.
As the core of Fuchuan's application for international slow city status, the Shenxian Lake Scenic Area, with its strong rural charm, pristine and simple natural ecology, beautiful and enchanting natural scenery, and rich local life atmosphere, has won the favor of the Cittaslow International Network inspection team.
The scenic area features four major eco-tourism and leisure zones: a fitness and entertainment zone, a pastoral scenery sightseeing zone, an eco-picking and fresh-tasting zone, and a folk culture exhibition zone. Among them, the hundreds-of-acres-large four-season "sea of flowers" eco-agricultural sightseeing garden has recently opened, planting 30 varieties of famous flowers and plants, including cosmos, Salvia splendens 'Safari Red', red-leaf cockscomb, Cleome spinosa, southern lavender, and teddy bear sunflowers. Yellow, purple, and red petals intermingle, creating a picturesque scene. Standing in the sea of flowers, with the breeze brushing against you and the fragrance wafting through the air, the endless "sea of flowers" instantly lifts your spirits. The simultaneous blooming of various flowers even creates a sense of time dislocation, attracting numerous visitors.
Being in Shenxian Lake allows one to deeply experience a nostalgic, leisurely, health-oriented, and relaxing "slow-paced" life, appreciate the distinctive Yao ethnic architecture, and taste delicious Yao ethnic cuisine. The local people love the mountains and water, are harmonious and open-minded, and content with their lives, free from the restlessness and troubles of big cities, living an easy, comfortable, and carefree "slow-paced" life. All of this undoubtedly aligns perfectly with the standards of a "Cittaslow."
As an important passage for ancient military, trade, ethnic migration, and cultural integration, Fuchuan has preserved a number of well-maintained traditional ancient villages. Among the only nine Chinese Historical and Cultural Villages in Guangxi, Fuchuan accounts for two: Xiushui Zhuangyuan Village and Songzhai Fuxi Village.
Xiushui Zhuangyuan Village, located in Chao dong Town of Fuchuan County, boasts eight major landscapes: "Three Rivers Surging," "Spirit Mountain Stone Treasure," "Sleeping Rabbit Hiding in Mist," "Natural Jade Mirror," "Green Dragon Coiling in Fog," "Claw-shaped Cliff Immortal Rock," "Eagle Spreading Wings," and "Carp Breaking Through Clouds," earning it the nickname "Little Guilin." Xiushui is not only naturally beautiful but also a place of outstanding people and frequent heroes. According to records, from the Tang to the Qing dynasties, among the 133 imperial examination jinshi (successful candidates) listed in the county annals, Xiushui Zhuangyuan Village alone accounted for 27, including Mao Zizhi, the Zhuangyuan (number one scholar) of the Song Dynasty's Kaixi first year (1205). Hence, it is also known as "Zhuangyuan Village." The village features attractions such as the Zhuangyuan Tower, ancient theater stage, ancient memorial archways, ancient spring pools, and ancient screen walls; a collection of various ancient plaques bestowed by emperors and gifted by officials throughout the dynasties, as well as ancient residential buildings and gate towers from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, earning it the title of "Open-Air Museum of Ancient Architecture from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties."
Fuxi Village, located beside the ancient Xiaoshao Road of the Qin and Han dynasties and the Chu-Guang corridor, is an ancient village from the Tang and Song dynasties. Established during the Tang and Song periods, it has a history of over a thousand years. The village's streets, residences, gate towers, and ancestral halls largely maintain their historical traditional architectural forms. The village has thirteen gate towers, inscribed with poems and calligraphy, each uniquely carved with dragons and phoenixes, and adorned with plaques such as "Scholar of Letters," "Scholar of Classics," "Jinshi," and "Military Examination Successful Candidate." The earliest plaque dates back to the third year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1370 AD), and the latest to the 35th year of the Republic of China (1946 AD). On both sides of the gate towers are drum-shaped stone discs, engraved with decorative patterns such as lotus, chrysanthemum, and bat on their upper and lower ends, known as "Merit Stones" or "Jinshi Drums." Historical records indicate that Fuxi Village has produced five "Jinshi." A spring in the village forms a clear stream, the only water source in Fuxi Village, with abundant water flow and never running dry, bringing continuous fortune to the village for thousands of years.
Fuchuan's "Lighting Lanterns and Exploding Dragons" event has a history of over a hundred years and is a unique and rare folk activity in the Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County. During the New Year period, the streets are filled with smoke and flying sparks, and the dragon-exploding scenes are thrilling, wild, and stimulating, making viewers feel as if they are on a battlefield, leaving an unforgettable impression. Exploding dragons is one of the most primitive forms of body dance, with the dancing long dragons, the popping strings of firecrackers, and the surging crowds all igniting enthusiasm, leaving every participant with a lifelong memory. From the tenth to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, for several consecutive days, the Shenlou (Spirit Tower) in the ancient Ming City of Fuchuan is filled with incense and bustling with people from morning to night, while the flower street below resounds with continuous firecracker sounds, creating a highly festive atmosphere.
According to local traditional customs, during the lantern-lighting period, households that have welcomed a new baby will host banquets for relatives, friends, and neighbors for several days, while neighbors celebrate by beating drums, gongs, and performing dragon and lion dances, immersing everyone in the joy of the festival. In the evening, after feasting, people head to the streets to watch the dragon dances and explosions, creating a lively scene.
Picturesque scenery and poetic charm flow freely along the spine of the Xiaoshao Ancient Road, deeply imprinted on the rain-and-wind bridges of Yao villages and the horse-head walls of Yao homes...
Stepping into Fuchuan, getting close to the Yao countryside, standing in the four-season "sea of flowers" at Shenxian Lake, feeling the romance of leaning against your lover as shadows lengthen with the setting sun; watching the Yao ethnic explosive dragon performances, celebrating the Yao village New Year in the Shenlou of the ancient Ming City; touching the villages of the Tang and Song dynasties, listening to the ancient calls of blue bricks, black tiles, and horse-head walls in the towers and pagodas of the Ming and Qing eras. Fuchuan, going global, can also reach your heart.