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Liangzhu Cultural Village offers unique experience for guests and residents
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ALIENATION from one’s neighbors is rampant in many of China’s cookie-cutter apartment towers and modern residential compounds. Yet one development on the outskirts of Hangzhou is working to give residents something different: a sense of community in a one-of-a-kind environment.
To get a sense of the living experience planners at Liangzhu Culture Village hope to cultivate, it’s perhaps best to start with the “village treaty,” a document signed by over 3,000 households. This code-of-conduct contract calls on local residents to participate in village activities, say hello to their neighbors, avoid punishing their children in public, refrain from honking their car horn and look after their neighbors’ homes during extended absences, among other injunctions. Such standards, which are posted on a metal plaque at the village’s entrance, apply to tourists as well.
Located in Hangzhou’s Yuhang District, about 20 kilometers away from the city center, Liangzhu Village also boasts a wide array of facilities and attractions. These include cafes, restaurants as well as a museum, church and children’s park.
For visitors to this splendid community, here are a list of village highlights that showcase its unique mix of modern and antique charms.
Liangzhu Museum
Humans have been living in the vicinity of modern-day Liangzhu for more than 5,000 years, experts believe. To get an understanding of the area’s ancient civilization the Liangzhu Museum offers an extensive view into the distant past.
Discoveries made in Liangzhu show a rich ancient culture thriving along the banks of the Yangtze River Delta region. This civilization produced elaborate works of jade, silk, ivory and lacquer, as seen by artifacts extracted from local burial sites.
The Liangzhu Museum, opened in 2008, is an attraction in its own right. Its minimalist structure stands in bold contrast to the ancient and elaborate wares of the ancient Liangzhu people.
It’s well worth a half day’s trip to the museum as well as a nearby area containing more than 50 Liangzhu tombs, altars and other archaeological sites. The entire area covers 34 square kilometers.
Christian Church
When Liangzhu Village was first under construction, Vanke, the developer behind the project, asked local property owners for suggestions on how to use some of the village’s vacant lands. Among the proposals put forward included building a church.
Eventually, a Japanese architect was hired to construct a house of worship within the village. The main area for worshippers includes a Chinese tiled ceiling as well as rectangular French windows. Pervading the entire space is a rich smell of wood as the building itself, as well as its furnishings, were all made from pinewood imported from Japan.
Villager Cafeteria
A local food street packed with dozens of restaurants and eateries brings a wide range of dining choices straight to local residents and guests.
For many, the street’s real highlight is the Villager Cafeteria, a tidy eatery decked out in vintage 1980s style, complete with enamel cups and bamboo bowls.
On the breakfast menu, one can find typical fare like fried bread sticks, pancakes and soy milk for prices as low as 2 yuan (32 US cents). During lunch and dinner, prices remain reasonable, with most meals costing around 15 yuan.
Despite its aged appearance, the cafeteria — and, indeed, most other restaurants in the area — has one modern touch: it only accepts payment via Villager Card. Visitors can secure such cards at the local information desk.
Reyi Youth Hostel
In the village’s eco-friendly youth hostel, the “re” refers to reuse, recycle, redesign, and renewable. Almost everything in this hostel is reused or made from recycled materials.
Glass bricks are embedded in the walls of each room for better natural lighting, while on the roof solar panels generate electricity for guests.
Rain water is also gathered to flush toilets and reclaimed wood is used for the floors and walls.
Energy consumption and water use by guests is monitored with LED screens mounted on each door.
Local children also visit the hostel for monthly eco-friendly activities.
The hostel is fitted with some 40 rooms.
Beds in shared rooms start at 70 yuan per night, while family suites run for about 320 yuan.
Library
For those after a peaceful retreat, the village’s library includes a wide selection of books donated by local residents.
Admission is free in the two-story, 700-square-meter facility, which is staffed by a team of volunteers from the village as well as local college students. Areas are available for reading, watching films or resting with a cup of tea.
The library is set to become part of a larger culture and art complex which is still under construction.
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