Two hours west of Chengdu at the foothills of the Tibetan Plateau in Sichuan province lies Miaoxia, one of the last few remaining timber settlements in the region. Formerly a community kitchen, a once-derelict building located in the heart of the village has recently been revamped and renovated to transform it into a tourism hub that is helping breathe new life into the area.
Miaoxia Community Guesthouse at night. Image by Miaoxia Community Guesthouse. Copyright In-situ Project 2015-17
Launched by In-situ Project, the Miaoxia Village Guesthouse was created in cooperation with local villagers, acting as a way to generate revenue and jobs for the rural community. Over 70 villagers and 12 volunteers participated in the design and construction of the building and its surroundings, a task that took over nine months to complete. All of the funding for the project came from charitable foundations, with the end result being a beautiful space that enables visitors to stay overnight.
Miaoxia Villagers building the structure. Image by Miaoxia Community Guesthouse. Copyright In-situ Project 2015-17
The guesthouse can now accommodate up to 20 people, and includes six guest rooms and dormitories, a tea room, workshop spaces, activity spaces for children, an office, laundry facilities, a courtyard and a garden.
The building can now accommodate up to 20 guests. Image by Miaoxia Community Guesthouse. Copyright In-situ Project 2015-17
“The project was developed in close dialogue and engagement with the local community. It sought ways to positively benefit a village that was declining, suffering from some of the problems that typify many Chinese villages, including people of working age leaving, aging, and under-investment or lack of development. The project aimed to turn the village around with a view to longer term sustainable development,” said Peter Hasdell of In-situ project.
The build was made possible by a team of volunteers along with local villagers. Image by Miaoxia Community Guesthouse. Copyright In-situ Project 2015-17
The extension was designed as an L-shaped building resembling traditional courtyard houses, with the guesthouse being constructed using a special Chinese timber structure often found in areas prone to earthquakes. The guesthouse compliments the surrounding buildings, while a low tech sewerage system actually fertilizes the adjoining community garden.
“The villagers have been generally very positive to these initiatives. The initiatives have led to hundreds of new visitors to the village since it launched. More importantly, they have pride in their village and culture and benefit from the cooperative enterprises which generate money. There are more elderly villagers here too. Visitors want to know about history, they can be introduced to them and learn about the story of the kitchen and the guesthouse,” Peter said.
More information on the Miaoxia Village Guesthouse is available at In-situ’s official website.
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