Beijing News (Reporter Zhang Yu) In recent years, "characteristic tourist towns" built around folk culture have blossomed everywhere in China. Whether it’s focusing on peasant customs or telling stories depending on the local historical background, building a characteristic town has become the key path for many areas to build tourism industry and get rid of poverty and become rich. However, the results of blooming everywhere are not overly optimistic, and some characteristic towns are declining at an unexpected speed.
Donghuang Town, located in Liquan County, Xianyang, has been open for less than a year, and merchants have closed their doors. Now the whole town has become an "empty city". Similar "short-lived" phenomenon still exists in Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village in Lantian County of Xi ‘an and Hexianfang Folk Culture Village in Fuping County of Weinan. When visiting these "short-lived" characteristic towns, the Beijing News reporter found that the direct reasons for the decline of the towns are that the investment is not cautious, the style characteristics are not prominent, and the overall consumption link lacks linkage. However, it is bound to be impracticable to put the construction idea of making quick money and making quick achievements on the construction of characteristic towns.
People go to empty characteristic towns. Beijing News reporter Zhang Yu photo
In less than a year, Donghuang Town in Xianyang, Shaanxi Province became an "empty city"
How long does it take for a characteristic town from birth to death? On this issue, Donghuang Town, located in the southeast of Liquan County, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, gave a sad answer of "less than one year". It was grandly opened in October 2015, and in August 2016, merchants closed in batches. The whole town came in a hurry.
Donghuang Town is about 35 kilometers away from Xianyang City and belongs to Dongsheng Village, Liquan County. Due to the speed limit of the road, it takes nearly an hour to drive from Xianyang to the town. Taxi drivers told the Beijing News that people who travel to Liquan will go straight to the famous scenic spot yuanjiacun, where they can eat, live and play. As for Donghuang Town, the local driver in Xianyang has only heard of it on the news and has never been there.
In today’s Donghuang town, all the shops on both sides of each street are locked. The messy tables and chairs and abandoned building tools around the stage at the entrance show that there have been no tourists here for a long time. The same depression also appeared in the dining "castle" across the street from the town and the amusement square next to the village Committee.
In contrast, the poster of Oktoberfest and the banner of "Moral Model Commendation Conference" written in the square of Donghuang Town are a little lively. Wang Pinghan, director of Dongsheng Village, told the reporter that Donghuang Town has been "abandoned" for a long time, and there are no businesses operating here. The posters and conference banners on the square about Oktoberfest were used by Dongsheng Village Committee in organizing activities in the past two months.
Occasionally, villagers go for a walk in Donghuang Town Square. Beijing News reporter Zhang Yu photo
"It’s been too long, there are no tourists, and the businesses have left. At present, the whole town is temporarily left, and there is no way to deal with it. Occasionally, villagers will go for a walk inside. Because the venue is relatively large, there are some collective activities in our village. Come here."
Dongsheng Village, where Donghuang Town is located, consists of four natural villages, namely Donghuang Village, Xiaobai Village, Xigao Village and Yanji Village (formerly known as Jicun, with the word "drill" and later renamed Yanji Village). Among them, Yanji Village, the nearest to Donghuang Town, was also the main source of land transfer during the construction of the town at that time.
Is it a special case that people go to the empty Donghuang town in less than a year? On the reporter’s visit, Donghuang Town was not the only one that became an "empty city".
The Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village, located in Lantian County, Xi ‘an, also in Shaanxi Province, is now closed. The reporter saw the words "road construction, renovation and upgrading in the park" on a signboard at the entrance of the scenic spot.
Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village is undergoing upgrading. Beijing News reporter Zhang Yu photo
Walking into the interior of the scenic spot, we found that only three businesses are operating normally, namely, a small shop selling drinks, a restaurant specializing in Shaanxi cuisine and a music bar with a modern decoration. Everywhere else, the doors and windows are closed, and the houses and landscapes in the scenic area are also very shabby. According to a person who once worked in the project, Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village opened on May 1, 2016. After the Spring Festival in 2017, the number of tourists dropped sharply, and the excitement lasted only less than one year.
Repeated "snack street" merchants don’t even collect the deposit.
"There were a lot of people when I first opened the business. I saw 20,000 to 30,000 people at the most in a day. In addition to tourists from the county, there were also people from Xianyang and Xi’ an, but the number of people who came later suddenly decreased." When it comes to Donghuang Town, a wang xing villager in Yanji Village is in deep sorrow.
The investor of Donghuang Town Project is Western Rural Modern Agriculture Co., Ltd. In July 2013, the company’s modern agricultural parks were approved as the fifth batch of provincial modern agricultural parks in Shaanxi. Yuan Zhongmin, who once worked in the agricultural park, told the reporter, "At that time, it was proposed to build a model of park+scenic spot+community, and Donghuang Town was a folk tourist scenic spot." For several years, Yuan Zhongmin has been working in the agricultural park, mainly responsible for agricultural production and fruit tree management.
According to him, the whole Donghuang Town project covered an area of more than 100 mu at that time, including the main body of the town, the opposite dining castle and the amusement square next to the village Committee. The surrounding villagers originally used apple tree planting as their main source of income. "Later, I thought about engaging in special tourism to attract tourists like yuanjiacun, and seeing that people are doing so well, everyone wants to do a similar one."
In May 2015, the catering castle took the lead in opening. On October 1st of the same year, Donghuang Town was officially opened, with the slogan of "Guanzhong Grand Collection", focusing on snacks and various folk workshops.
"There are more than 300 merchants in 4 streets of the town, which are basically snack bars, and there are several selling agricultural and sideline foods. Even if we eat a lot of patterns here, can there be more than 300 without repetition? Moreover, tourists from around come to play, and people can eat 8 yuan a bowl of scorpion noodles at their doorstep. Why come here to eat 12 yuan a bowl? "
In Donghuang town, which is now deserted, although the shops have closed, we can also see the former style here from its dilapidated signs. There are almost signs of snacks and catering on both sides of the street, including Shaanxi’s signature foods such as basin mutton, Chinese hamburger and Hele, as well as street-side "tiger balm" snacks such as French fries and squid. Moreover, there are several shops selling Chinese buns in the same street.
Yuan Zhongmin’s family once set up shop in Donghuang town. After listening to my son’s suggestion, I decided to cooperate with the town investors and rent a small storefront of 12 square meters. Mainly selling hand-grabbed cakes and drinks. He told reporters that even during the peak period of passenger flow, the profit of the store is very small.
"There are 5 cakes in hand. When there are many tourists, you can sell 500 yuan a day. Like when there are few people, it is 50 yuan, which is still counted as drinks. Think about it, the number of cakes sold this day is sometimes less than double digits." Yuan Zhongmin remembers that the monthly cost of the store is 2,000 to 3,000 yuan, including noodles, oil, spices and utilities. "This is not the salary of hiring people in 100 yuan every day. No matter how much you earn, you will give it at the end of the month."
In the end, the hand-held cake shop opened with the town closed in July of the following year. However, as stipulated in the contract at that time, the deposit should be returned to the merchants after two years. Yuan Zhongmin, who left less than one year after opening, has not received his own deposit of 40,000 yuan.
Four "White Deer Plains" are close to each other, which leads to aesthetic fatigue.
Because of the novel by writer Chen Zhongshi and the TV series of the same name, "White Deer Plain" has become one of the pronouns of Shaanxi folk customs. Bailuyuan is the largest loess tableland in Xi ‘an, covering an area of more than 260 square kilometers, covering Chang ‘an District, Baqiao District and Lantian County.
"At that time, when the folk culture village was built, the TV series" Bailuyuan "was still being filmed. At that time, only everyone knew that there was a place called Bailuyuan." Kang Jie, who is familiar with the operation of the project, told reporters that Bailuyuan was called Dizhaiyuan in the past, which means the place where Di Qing stationed troops and camped. The name of Bailuyuan comes from an earlier allusion of "Zhou Pingwang moved the capital". "When Mr. Chen Zhongshi’s novel comes out, it will have another communication effect on this place. Now it is called Bailuyuan."
Until now, Kang Jie still feels that the quality of merchants in the once "Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village", whether closed down or still in continuous operation, is the best among all characteristic folk villages in the province.
There are many merchants selling snacks in Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village, and now they have all closed their stores. Beijing News reporter Zhang Yu photo
"The delicacies represented by Shaanxi, such as belt noodles, pulled noodles and braised three delicacies, are all invited by the scenic spots to have the title of China culinary master. From eating this piece, our overall quality is very high."
Kang Jie remembers that the Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village had a total passenger flow of 100,000 in the first three days. The most brilliant time was during the Spring Festival in 2017. Due to the light show and various cultural performances in the scenic spot, tourists were full, and reached 150,000 passengers a day on the 15th day of the first month of Lantian County Social Fire Competition. At that time, no one would have thought that the fifteenth day of the first month was the highest peak of the folk culture village, and then it went downhill endlessly.
"First, the number of tourists decreased, and then the income gap between stores began to become obvious. The shops with good locations and good projects had a very large passenger flow. Some shops with bad locations went to fewer people, and the shopkeepers didn’t have the strength to do it. Finally, it became a vicious circle."
When asked about the reasons, Kang Jie felt that there were too many homogeneous projects in Shaanxi Province, which led to the aesthetic fatigue of tourists. "Like a wind, in the area of Bailuyuan, in addition to our folk village at that time, there are also studios, Bailucang and Baizhangzhang, all of which focus on the Guanzhong culture of Bailuyuan, and the distance between the four houses is no more than 20 kilometers."
According to public reports, in July 2016, Bailuyuan Film and Television City, about 10 kilometers away from Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village, was opened, and Bailucang was officially opened in April 2017, because it is closer to Lantian City and Xi ‘an, and there will be more leisure tourists on weekends. The scenic spot of Bojizhang Village, also located in Lantian County, opened in the second half of 2016, with fewer tourists than when it was first opened, but its operation continued. The four scenic spots are not only close, but also the opening time can be regarded as "front and back feet", with an interval of no more than one year.
In fact, among the four similar scenic spots, Bailuyuan Film and Television City is still hot. On the day of the reporter’s interview, a large parking lot was almost occupied. On the one hand, the tourist facilities in the scenic spot are more diverse and perfect, and on the other hand, the investor Shaanxi Tourism Group Co., Ltd. is rich in funds. According to public reports, Bailuyuan Film and Television City invested more than 600 million, while Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village invested about 350 million. Regarding the investment in the project, Kang Jie said that the actual investment was smaller than this figure, and the specific amount was not disclosed.
A small town engaged in mahjong competition, an unreliable marketing
In 2016, Mr. Hu came to Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village to run a food and beverage store. So far, he is still one of the businesses that "Wei San" is operating here. For him who opened a restaurant in his hometown in Jiangsu and originally wanted to earn some money in the scenic spot, the goods in his hand have become a burden to get rid of now.
"This street, when it was first opened, people couldn’t walk. Later, the scenic spot changed operators, the personnel were streamlined, the management didn’t go up, and some activities didn’t work. Finally, it became like this."
Regarding the statement of changing the operator, Kang Jie said that after the passenger flow in the scenic spot declined, he changed the operator twice, but the effect was not good. "At that time, I felt that what we were doing here was unprofessional, so I found a professional operation team to cooperate, including scenic spot positioning, investment promotion and planning and publicity."
Kang Jie told reporters that the new operators moved in in June 2017 and early 2018 respectively. The former only maintained a cooperative relationship for two months, while the latter was responsible for the operation of the scenic spot until the Spring Festival of 2019, but the number of tourists did not improve significantly during that period. Now, recalling some activities and methods of the cooperative company at that time, Kang Jie thinks that it is "not very reliable".
"The first cooperative company, the first activity that came in was a mahjong competition. The grand prize was a car worth 60,000 yuan. The competition was to pick the first place at each table, then play the second round together, and give a bottle of wine for each win." Kang Jie recalled, "It took at least 100,000 yuan to go in, but there was no drainage effect at all. All the people who came were unemployed people living in villages near the scenic spot. They were close, loved drinking and playing mahjong. In the end, it was really a villager who won the car."
More than 300 merchants originally settled in the scenic spot, after two changes of operators, only less than 100 households were left. Kang Jie remembers that from 2018, the original investor Shaanxi Weishui Cultural Industry Investment Co., Ltd. began to seek equity transfer and stopped operating, and finally finalized the transferee in the first half of 2019.
The banner of "International Beer Festival" is also hung on the square of Donghuang Town. Beijing News reporter Zhang Yu photo
During the opening of Donghuang Town, Yuan Zhongmin felt that although the passenger flow was large, there was a big reason for continuing to "spend money" on activities. Including opera competitions and singing competitions, in less than a year since its opening, various activities in Donghuang Town have been almost uninterrupted. On the premise that "the omen of death" appeared in the town in July 2016, on the 16th of the same month, Donghuang Town also invested in a large-scale K-song activity, with an investment cost of more than 1 million. "I invited a star and sang three songs, and her appearance fee alone was 230,000."
"Sometimes you can sing for a month. Every day, people come, there are many tourists, and businesses are happy, but the money you spend can be earned back very little, because at that time, in order to attract businesses, it was a rent-free policy and only a deposit was paid."
Yuanjiacun’s success does not allow tourists to leave after eating.
When it comes to characteristic towns, people usually get the impression of buildings with certain customs and a street full of snacks. As the most direct source of income in tourist towns, snacks and catering seem to be the necessities of every scenic spot. It’s just that tourists "eat and wipe their mouths", and it’s obviously not enough to eat and stroll alone.
Not far from the entrance of Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village, the reporter saw a hotel. Throughout the entire scenic area, there is only one place for tourists to stay. Kang Jie told reporters that the only hotel was built nearly a year after the opening of the scenic spot. Tourists arrive at the scenic spot, spend more than an hour shopping, and then return to the county seat and urban area, with no subsequent consumption in accommodation and entertainment.
"In Shaanxi, there are many models of such folk villages and characteristic towns, but there are few successful cases. There are snacks, catering, accommodation and some entertainment facilities, so that tourists can stay, like the star town of yuanjiacun. It has developed for such a long time, and now it has formed this closed loop a little bit." Kang Jie said.
In 2007, Yuanjia Village, located in Yanxia Town, Liquan County, Xianyang, officially began to develop tourism, and it still maintains an annual passenger flow of about 6 million. The day of the reporter’s interview was a Friday. Even if it was not a rest day, the alleys in yuanjiacun were still full, and snacks and catering were particularly popular.
Catering shops in yuanjiacun are still hot. Beijing News reporter Zhang Yu photo
Wang Chuangzhan, director of the village committee in yuanjiacun, felt that from the beginning, yuanjiacun’s own tourism resources were actually lacking. Although there is Zhaoling scenic spot less than 10 kilometers from the village, it is still not enough to attract tourists. "When you go to Shaanxi to see history, most tourists look at the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, and then it may be Ganling. Many people only found out after staying in yuanjiacun that there was a Zhaoling not far away."
From folk tourism to food and beverage to holiday accommodation, the interval between the development of each stage is less than two years, so the popularity of yuanjiacun has been continued in the rapid upgrade. After the direction of vacation was formally determined in 2010, in addition to introducing homestays, boutique inns and hotels, along the extension of vacation, yuanjiacun successively built amusement parks at the entrance of scenic spots and bar streets open at night.
Yuanjiacun has also changed from the earliest street with two rows of houses to a tourist town with an area of nearly 400 mu, including three commercial streets: Ancestral Temple Street, Shuyuan Street and Huimin Street.
"It is definitely unsustainable to start making folk experiences and snacks alone. The consumption is low and the quantity is small. When tourists come and walk around, they can’t keep people. Therefore, we have to continue to develop catering and then go to a homestay where tourists can stay. What can I do if I stay? We opened a bar street and a playground, and completed the whole line, so that yuanjiacun can finally become a good place for a holiday. "
Today, there are more than 3,000 business operators in yuanjiacun, which is three times the number of villagers in yuanjiacun village. These people are also regarded as "new villagers" in yuanjiacun.
Can’t just be regarded as a "money-making business"
In terms of income, part of the income of characteristic towns comes from the rent of settled merchants. However, for unsuccessful towns, even in the booming period when they just started business, the monthly profits of merchants are very small.
"At the hottest time, the monthly income of the scenic spot is 1 million, which is already very good, but when we calculate the cost of the month, the salary of the employees of the scenic spot and the company, plus the water and electricity bills, will almost be close to 1 million." Up to now, Shaanxi Weishui Cultural Industry Investment Co., Ltd. has only one project, Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village. For investors who only rely on shareholders’ capital contribution and merchants’ rent after opening, the cost pressure can be imagined.
Kang Jie summed up the development of folk villages as the failure of "business field" in the mode of characteristic folk villages and characteristic towns. "In the final analysis, I think the mode initiated and invested by enterprises is different from that of tourism in yuanjiacun."
"It is said that the previous operating partners are eager for quick success and instant benefit, and we are not. The entire scenic spot invests a lot of money every month. Shareholders will continue to make money when they see it. If the benefits are not good, they will not dare to put the money in their hands, and they will not see the’ profit-making’. The momentum at the beginning of construction will soon disappear. "
Although it is a working day, yuanjiacun is still full of tourists. Beijing News reporter Zhang Yu photo
The starting point mentioned by Kang Jie is different because the tourism in yuanjiacun is developed and managed by the village committee. Although accepting external investment, the settlement and management of merchants need to be unified by the village Committee. Everyone wants to make the town a "money-making business", but a visionary village Committee may cherish and care more about its hometown.
The three main streets in yuanjiacun, Ancestral Hall Street, Huimin Street and Shuyuan Street, were invested and built by different investors, and they also presented three different theme styles: homestay, snacks and cultural creation. "The first step in attracting investment needs to be connected to the village Committee. We need to see whether the merchants are needed in the development of yuanjiacun as a whole, and whether they are controllable and safe. These conditions are met and the merchants will land again."
In the process of development, there are naturally problems. The outstanding problem is the attitude of the villagers in the village after the external merchants settle in to earn money. At this time, a reasonable, inclusive and prestigious village Committee is very important.
"Some merchants who have settled in are doing very well. The villagers want to make money from this project, but we will resolutely oppose it because we want to protect the rights and interests of these well-done merchants." Wang Chuangzhan said, "But in the final analysis, the development of yuanjiacun is to make the villagers rich. In this case, the village committee will coordinate with the merchants to see if the business can be industrialized, and then let the villagers join in the form of shares and enjoy the benefits every year. At present, this kind of dividend is also part of the villagers’ operation of their own farmhouses. "
Nowadays, Yuan Zhongmin is retired at home, and it is the "tail" of summer vacation. Every day, accompanying his grandson has become the whole of his life. When he mentions Donghuang Town, he can’t help but sigh. Kang Jie has already left his job in Bailuyuan Folk Culture Village and opened a small factory. For the previous experience, he felt that it was a pity and powerless. "Continue to invest money, but also be able to hold on to the time when you don’t make money."
(At the request of the interviewee, Kang Jie is a pseudonym in this article. )
Beijing News reporter Zhang Yu
Editor Zhang Shujing proofreads Wang Xin.
