Youths “pursuing dreams” at Xuedou Mountain

　　Dong Yixin, CNS

　　After the start of winter, Xuedou Mountain was shrouded in a light mist, with the forest leaves in the valleys turning pale yellow. Winding up the mountain road, Dongshan Village in Xikou Town, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, came into view. When Hu Liangyu, a young woman from Yunnan Province, first arrived here, she was captivated by the enchanting scenery as described in the ancient poem that “The evening mist in the mountains is so enchanting(山气日夕佳)，” and decided to stay and compete for the position of rural CEO in Dongshan Village。

　　“After taking up the post, I was mainly responsible for designing cultural tourism routes and receiving tourist groups. During busy times, I need to host several study tour groups in a single day,” Hu said. Recently, she has been working with the village collective to take stock of idle farmhouses, preparing to advance a “short-term rental + living” project that will allow villagers to participate in rural operations by contributing their houses as shares and receiving dividends。

　　“Youth engaging in rural innovation is not about drastically transforming the countryside, but rather using professional skills and lifestyles to activate village resources and truly benefit the villagers,” she said。

Adorned with fallen leaves, the grounds of Xuedou Temple were blanketed in gold in autumn. (Photo contributed by local authority)

　　In recent years, Xikou Town, where Hu is located, has piloted the cluster development of six villages in the Xuedou Mountain area, creating the “Xuedou Rural Journey” brand. Six professional rural operation teams, including Hu’s, have been introduced, and the first batch of 30 stalls for a common prosperity market in the area have been established. In 2024, the collective operating income of the six villages in this area reached 4.667 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9%， moving from “individual village beauty” to “joint village prosperity”。

Recently, rural CEO Hu Liangyu (right) is at the Dongshan Village's second Moon Festival. (Photo contributed by local authority)

　　If rural operations have infused villages with vitality, then the arrival of new farmers has unlocked even more pathways for development。

　　In Qixiakeng Village, Fenghua District, Ningbo City, a “rural unmanned shared station” is being promoted by a team of young new farmers. The project integrates local diverse agricultural products and provides self-service purchases, route guidance, and rest services for tourists, perfectly blending traditional agriculture with contemporary consumption scenarios。

　　“The project has been widely praised after its online promotion, with many netizens coming to check in,” said Chen Linlin, one of the project leaders and co-founder of the Yunyeheguang(沄野和光) Cultural Tourism Project. She and her team will continue to develop more projects to ensure that “the already beautiful treasure villages” are seen by more people。

　　This year, young people from Chinese Taiwan have also joined this “dream-pursuing” journey. In spring, a group of Taiwanese compatriots came to Fenghua to adopt peach trees in the peach groves. In midsummer, another group of Taiwanese youth arrived as promised, “relaying” the harvest in the same peach grove. In the first 10 months of this year, Fenghua received 1,254 Taiwanese compatriots of exchange groups, ranking first in Ningbo. More cross-strait interactions are taking place here。

Recently, the inauguration ceremony of the Ningbo Rural CEO Alliance was held. (Photo contributed by local authority)

　　As one of Zhejiang’s first national 5A-level scenic spots, Xuedou Mountain is renowned for its waterfalls, ancient temples, old bridges, and sea of clouds. Today, some people have put down roots here, others have come across the sea, some contribute with their professional skills, and others stay out of interest. Different paths ultimately converge into the same line—the mountains and waters remain beautiful, but the rural areas of Xuedou Mountain, now more suitable for career, tourism, living, and starting up business, are achieving mutual success with these young people from different regions. (End)