06
Systematic Engineering and Sustained Empowerment in Rural Revitalization Initiatives
"Mountains or seas cannot distance those with common aspirations"
Students united by shared aspirations transcend geographical boundaries, venturing into remote villages to confront real-world challenges and gain hands-on experience of rural life. Their encounters with rural landscapes have transformed their perspectives on rural revitalization, moving beyond theoretical constructs to practical insights. Qian Yujin, former head of the Practice Team in the AADTHU Youth League Committee, observed that art students excel at leveraging human-centered design thinking to empower rural revitalization, supported by a profound sense of humanism and a pragmatic and innovative methodology.
The continuous development of brand projects, bases, and workstations has emerged as an important direction for students’ social practice endeavors, both now and in the future, because rural construction is a comprehensive and systematic endeavor that necessitates sustained investment, continuous enrichment, and refinement to incubate innovative strategies tailored to local contexts. By integrating resources and conducting experimental implementations, initial successes in one locality can be scaled and replicated elsewhere, forming a more effective path for rural revitalization. A single practice initiative is akin to planting a seed in the local soil; however, without adequate nurturing and care, the seed will fail to grow. Similarly, even the most impressive practical outcomes may fade if not sustained.
Over the past two years, the “Tracing the Source” Brand Program has dispatched dozens of practice teams to Hunan’s Yuanling, Anhui’s Shexian, Fujian’s Xunpu, Xizang’s Rangtang, Zhejiang’s Longquan, and Shaanxi’s Fengxiang, among other places. Starting from Beijing, students have traced the source across the nation, engaging in social practices that resonate with their aspirations and commitments. “Interpreting, promoting, and recreating local traditional culture not only enriches cultural heritage but also contributes to the local economy and people’s livelihood. The Tracing the Source brand has visited ancient villages in Huizhou multiple times to promote their folk culture, aiming to effectively boost tourism and related product sales. Through these efforts, art empowering countryside is not merely a slogan but a gentler and more human-centered approach to rural revitalization.”
“Tracing the Source” Program Reaches Vaster Land
Furthermore, the rural aesthetic education volunteer teaching team has formulated a teaching system tailored to local conditions through repeated practices. This ensures that even after the volunteer teachers leave, the local community can continue to use and refine this teaching model, fostering sustainable development in rural aesthetic education. Beyond sporadic aesthetic education support, AADTHU also strives to establish aesthetic education workstations as hubs for social aesthetic education, sending practice teams to local areas in an orderly manner during winter and summer vacations. By focusing on a central point and radiating throughout the entire region, AADTHU aims to achieve genuine empowerment and sustainable development in rural areas.
The seeds have been planted, and the branches are spreading. The vision of AADTHU student teams and the tireless efforts of social practice system builders, organizers, and participants are bearing fruit. “While the journey ahead is still long, the direction has gradually become clearer, and subsequent explorations will be more relaxed and determined, paving the way for a brighter future for rural revitalization initiatives.”
Planning | Zhu Ying
Interviews | Lao Quanling
Writing | Li Yinuo & Lao Quanling
Images | Student Practical Team
Editor | Luo Xuehui, Li Yinuo, Zhang Xueying, Xia Zhiwei
