Pay attention to the protection of traditional villages and rural features

In Giethoorn, the Netherlands, a "whispering boat" quietly sailed past a thatched house. Photo by our reporter Ren Yan

In the village of Frommborn, Germany, local children are experiencing pastry making in a bakery. Photo courtesy of Frommborn, Germany

A glimpse of the tranquil nature of Matsukawa Village, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Photo courtesy of Matsukawa Village Government, Japan

In the process of rural development, on the one hand, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of infrastructure and improve the living environment such as village appearance and appearance. On the other hand, it is also necessary to pay attention to the protection of traditional villages and rural characteristics, so as to make the countryside beautiful and livable, and to retain the sight. See nostalgia. Rural construction in many countries has successively experienced the development stages of infrastructure modernization and return to traditional rural characteristics, and efforts have been made in protection and inheritance

Villages Frommborn and Eppelsheim, Germany

Improve the rural humanistic living environment and attractiveness

Our reporter in Germany Li Qiang

Frommborn is a village with only over 1,000 people in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. On the lawn in the center of the village, there is an inconspicuous stone tablet with the words "1600 F" vaguely engraved on it. . The introduction board next to it tells its origin: this is the boundary marker between Frommborn (abbreviated F) and neighboring villages in 1600. A few years ago, this boundary marker was excavated and discovered by villagers, which became one of the earliest witnesses to the history of Frommborn village. Next to the stele, a water well that has been abandoned for more than half a century has also been well maintained. The well head is decorated with exquisite wrought iron decoration, which becomes the landscape of the village.

Reinheimer, a member of the village committee, said that the villagers cherish their history very much and are proud of it. At present, Frommborn has erected briefing boards for more than a dozen landmark buildings and landscapes, introducing the history and culture of the village to villagers and tourists. The village also plans to add a QR code to allow villagers and tourists to get more information about the village.

The appreciation of the history and culture of the village is not unique to Frommborn. In Eppelsheim, 1 km away, the villagers even set up a small museum in the village hall to display the fossils, farm tools and other excavated in the village. Exhibits, pictures and text detail the village's rich history spanning over 1,200 years.

In Germany, which is highly industrialized and urbanized, the hardware facilities in the countryside were not much different from those in the cities decades ago. The living environment close to nature even attracts many urbanites to settle here. Excavating and protecting the history and traditional features of villages, and further improving the humanistic living environment and attractiveness of rural areas have become the focus of rural construction in Germany in recent years. Frommborn and Eppelsheim have created a unique village culture precisely because of local conditions, and won the prize in the German Federal Rural Competition.

Such achievements are inseparable from the extensive participation of villagers in village governance. In the village office in Frommborn, members of the village committee used dozens of pages of PPT to introduce to reporters a series of beautification projects carried out in the village in recent years: landmark introduction boards, bird garden trails, public bakeries, outdoor Small theater... In the eyes of the reporter, this place is more like a miniature city than a village.

In terms of resource sources, the German Federal Government's "Agricultural Structure Improvement and Coastal Protection" Common Task Act and the state government's rural renewal plan provided partial support, and the main construction work was done by villagers' voluntary labor. Various associations established in the village have played an indispensable role in this. On Frommborn’s official website and social media, there are monthly updates on the activities of various associations, such as landscape construction organized by villagers’ initiatives, dust removal day cleaning organized by women’s associations, etc.

The monthly "Baking Bread Day" is a "big event" in the village. In the bakery built by myself over the past three years, it has become a part of the villagers' life to bake bread and pastries for each family with their own flour ingredients. The bakery also has a dedicated social account with monthly previews of events and bakery menus, one of which reads: "Let's make potato bread, rolls and delicious cakes together in a cozy atmosphere in a wood-fired oven, and Enjoy it with coffee.” Although the large supermarket chains in the village can buy fresh and cheap bread, the villagers seem to prefer to return to the tradition, enhance communication by the oven, discuss village public affairs, and enhance cohesion.

In the neighboring village of Eppelsheim, with the efforts of the Village Beautification Association, a 1.3-kilometer hiking trail has been created along the moat from the Middle Ages. Under the cover of green plants, you can see the former ancient city gates and leisure facilities transformed from abandoned lime kilns along the way. Deputy village head Nico Zimmer said that the daily maintenance of trails is not a simple project, which takes time and effort, but most villagers realize that this is a valuable asset and are willing to make voluntary contributions.

Not only is the protection of the ancient trails, the villagers also actively participate in the construction of the village. The Village Beautification Association, responsible for maintaining the trails, has been working to improve the living environment of the village since 1880. It is the long tradition of everyone participating in governance that makes Eppelsheim a livable environment.

It takes a lot of time and energy to manage and serve village public affairs. Almost all key members of village committees and associations are retirees, but their work has been recognized and supported by villagers. Reinheimer is enjoying it. At a recent meeting, there was discussion about continuing to participate in the new German Federal Rural Competition. "People who live in this village are not necessarily all born here. Everyone came here because they love rural life." Reinheimer said.

(Newspaper from Berlin)

Matsukawa Village, Japan

Introduce modern infrastructure according to local conditions

Liu Junguo, our correspondent in Japan

Driving three or four hours northwest from Tokyo, you can reach Matsukawa Village, Nagano Prefecture. The long and narrow basin at the foot of the mountain extends from north to south, and four rivers, including the Takase River, Rugawa River, Ashma River, and Hodaka River, flow slowly. This beautiful green village has a history of 132 years.

In recent years, Japan's population has continued to decline as the problem of declining birthrate and aging population has intensified. Songchuan Village is no exception. The population has decreased for eight consecutive years before. However, in 2020, the population of the village has achieved positive growth, increasing by 45 to 9,705. The reason is that Hirokazu Aonuma, a staff member of Matsukawa Village, told reporters that over the years, the village has been actively taking various measures to strengthen the promotion of the beautiful countryside, which has attracted many foreigners to settle here, including residents from big cities such as Tokyo. "There are tranquil pastoral scenery, fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh air and sweet spring water, as well as basic living facilities that are not inferior to big cities." In words, Aonuma is full of happiness and enthusiasm for being a Matsukawa villager. pride.

The 47-year-old Aonuma used to grow up in the city of Omachi, which is adjacent to the north of Matsukawa Village. When he was a student, he was attracted by the beauty of Matsukawa Village. After graduation, he came here and has been working and living here for 28 years. According to him, the roads in Songchuan Village have been hardened a long time ago and are clean and spotless. This is related to the local residents' insistence on taking outdoor garbage home, and it is also inseparable from the centralized garbage disposal policy implemented by the village government. More than half a century ago, villagers in Songchuan still burned domestic waste at home or in the fields. Although the amount of domestic waste was not large at that time, the air was still filled with a pungent smell when it was incinerated.

Since 1969, Songchuan Village has implemented a policy to centralize the collection of residents' garbage and entrust the garbage incineration plant near the local government to handle it. Afterwards, Songchuan Village cooperated with several nearby places to build modern garbage disposal facilities. Today, villagers in Songchuan, like residents in big cities, dispose of general household garbage for free, but they need to pay when discarding old household appliances and furniture and other "bulky garbage".

The problem of domestic sewage treatment once troubled the villagers of Songchuan. In the past, each household had to first store feces, etc. in their own feces tanks, waiting for regular collection by specialized companies. Other domestic water, such as kitchen water and bath water, is directly discharged into the river. In this way, on the one hand, the life of the villagers is very inconvenient, and on the other hand, it will cause river pollution.

In 2000, the central government of Japan, together with Matsukawa Village and local villagers, jointly invested 10.7 billion yen (100 yen equals about 6 yuan) to build a modern sewer system, which was widely supported by Matsukawa villagers. Since then, villagers in Songchuan can directly discharge domestic sewage into the sewer, "our life has become more convenient" and "the river in Songchuan Village has become clearer".

"Since the establishment of the sewer system, our living environment has gradually improved, even surpassing that of big cities." Aonuma proudly said that Songchuan Village has also strengthened various infrastructure constructions. In addition to educational institutions, clinics, banks, post offices, and large supermarkets, Art galleries, libraries, hot spring hotels and other facilities are also readily available.

In order to cope with the problem of population decline, administrative division adjustments have been continuously carried out throughout Japan. Many rural areas have been merged into other administrative units, but Matsukawa Village has been preserved and has become one of the oldest villages in Japan. Aonuma said that while continuing the advantages of the natural characteristics of the countryside, various modern infrastructures have been introduced according to local conditions. These efforts have brought more happiness to the villagers.

(Tokyo Newspaper)

Giethoorn, Netherlands

Create a livable environment where man and nature live in harmony

Ren Yan, special correspondent of our newspaper to the Netherlands

There is a very special village in the city of Steenwerkerland in the province of HautiJssel in the northeast of the Netherlands. The small bridges, flowing water, and houses here are picturesque, and there are no traces of cars, only boats rippling on the river. According to historical records, the area where the village is located was once an uninhabited swamp with rich peat resources stored underground. In the early 13th century, people came here to dig peat for a living, and found a lot of wild goat horns, so they named the village "Giethoorn Village".

Giethoorn currently has nearly 3,000 residents, and many families have lived here for generations. The houses they lived in still retain the traditional architectural style, with thick reeds covering the conical roof. "In the past, people here were very poor and couldn't afford bricks and tiles, so they could only use local materials and build grass for huts." Gaby Aishengboge, chairman of Giethoorn College, told this reporter, although the cost of reed roofs is now It is much higher than the tile roof, but the local people value the preservation of the tradition and still use the local reed to weave the roof. "This kind of thatched house is warm in winter and cool in summer, which is energy-saving, environmentally friendly and durable."

Aishengboge was born in Giethoorn, and his family has lived here for 10 generations. In her early 40s this year, she founded Giethoorn College, and cooperated with the Royal Netherlands Hotel Association and Wageningen University to conduct research and training in the fields of rural tourism, food safety and agricultural development. "By my great-grandfather's generation, people here still made a living by digging peat." Ai Shengboge said that in order to transport peat, the miners dug ditches and canals, and finally formed a floating village with criss-crossing rivers. Handmade wooden flat-bottomed boats were the only means of transportation at the time, and this traditional boat with wooden oars is still in use today. There are such small boats docked in front of many houses in Giethoorn Village, and postmen also deliver mail and packages in flat-bottomed boats.

The Giethoorn Museum is located in the center of the village, transformed from an abandoned farm. The museum focuses on the local culture of Giethoorn Village, and volunteers explain the development history of the village to tourists every day. According to reports, the planners of Giethoorn Village mainly build the village from the two starting points of environmental friendliness and livability: dredge the river, control water pollution, build wooden arch bridges, retain thatched houses and flat boats, and try their best to maintain the tranquility and simplicity of the countryside Natural landscape and characteristic style.

There is no road built in the central area of ​​Giethoorn Village, and foreign vehicles can only be parked in the parking lot at the entrance of the village. In order to reduce environmental pollution and noise pollution, in addition to traditional human-powered flat-bottomed boats, only "whispering boats" transformed from flat-bottomed boats are allowed to pass in the river channel in the central area. The boat is small and light, and equipped with a silent electric motor at the stern, so it gets its name because it sails silently. Abandon the boat and land on the shore, walk or ride a bicycle along the narrow trails along the bank, and pass more than 180 wooden arch bridges to reach any place in the village.

Strolling around Giethoorn Village is like traveling in a painting. The traditional dwellings are surrounded by green lawns and colorful flowers, which are reflected in the sparkling water with the blue sky and white clouds, and the big white geese swim around leisurely. In addition to birdsong, the loudest sound in the ear is the cry of ducks playing in the water. In it, there is no hustle and bustle of the city, only the tranquility of living in harmony with nature.

For a long time in the past, Giethoorn Village was not known to the outside world, and it never deliberately let the outside world know. In 1958, the well-known Dutch director Bert Haangstrow filmed the film "Blowing" here. As the musical-comedy film spread, international tourists flocked, creating huge economic benefits for the local area.

"The early planners of Giethoorn Village should not have thought that the village would become so famous one day. They just wanted to preserve the traditional culture and create a livable environment where people and nature live in harmony." With the rapid development of globalization and urbanization, more and more people show a strong nostalgia complex. By protecting and respecting traditional villages and designing development ideas according to the natural texture and ecological laws, Giethoorn Village presents a visible spiritual home for people in a certain sense.

(Newspaper from Amsterdam)

Layout design: Cai Huawei