On November 21, 2024, the launch ceremony of the "Flower·Sea·Tide 2024 | Guangxi Beihai Chixi Red Soil Art Project" (hereinafter referred to as the Chixi Red Soil Art Project) was held in Chixi Village, Beihai City, Guangxi. With the theme of "artistic planting," this art project upholds the concept of sustainable development and aims to "teach people to fish," marking the first art project in China to integrate art with planting in rural construction.

The project not only explores the innovative idea of using live plants as a medium for contemporary art creation but also contributes to rural ecological civilization construction, opening up new avenues for rural cultural tourism development. It leads the way with new trends, perspectives, and concepts, making Chixi Village a model for the integrated development of ecological civilization and rural tourism.

Initiated by the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, the "Chixi Red Soil Art Project" has received enthusiastic responses from multiple domestic and international prestigious art academies and universities, as well as related academic institutions. Over 20 young artists from art schools at home and abroad conducted a month-long series of visits, inspections, discussions, and on-site creations in Chixi Village, Beihai City. They utilized abstract, simplistic, and vibrant metal frames as "canvases" and hundreds of species of exquisite subtropical plants as "paints," collaborating with villagers to complete 36 artworks. These finished art pieces, resembling silhouettes of lush green mountains and waters or the beautiful tidal forms of the sea, take root, grow, and bloom permanently in this red soil, blending harmoniously with the village's natural landscape and villagers' courtyards. They attract more tourists to come and interact, thereby promoting the development of local rural tourism. Beihai is an important starting port of the ancient "the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road" and one of China's earliest foreign trade ports.

The soil in Beihai is tinged with a vibrant red hue, a unique trait bestowed by its subtropical climate that fosters an environment exceptionally conducive to plant growth. Just 12 kilometers away from Beihai's city center lies Chixi Village, a pivotal settlement in the integrated urban-rural development strategy. It is on this "red fertile land," imbued with tropical charm, that the aspirations of young artists to give back to their native soil converge seamlessly with the Haicheng District People's Government's vision to promote rural art initiatives, giving rise to the "Chixi Red Soil Art Project," which surges forward like a mighty tide.

The opening ceremony of "Flower·Sea·Tide" in 2024: On-site

On December 17th, 2024, the "2024 'Flower • Sea • Tide' | Guangxi Beihai Chixi Red Soil Art Project" officially opened its doors in Chixi Village, Beihai, Guangxi. This project is jointly hosted by the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, the Publicity Department of the CPC Beihai Municipal Committee, the Beihai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Haicheng District Party Committee of Beihai, and the Haicheng District People's Government of Beiha.

Ma Sai

Zhou Yang

The opening ceremony was presided over by Zhou Yang, Deputy Secretary of the Haicheng District Party Committee of Beihai. Ma Sai, Dean of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, announced the opening. Li Anhong, Secretary of the Haicheng District Party Committee of Beihai, Yang Dongjiang, Deputy Dean of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, and Wei Jin, a representative of the young artists, delivered speeches successively. Leaders from various sectors, guests, and young artists jointly unveiled the 2024 'Flower • Sea • Tide' series of works.

Li Anhong

Li Anhong pointed out in his speech that, with the strong support of the Beihai Municipal Party Committee and Government, the Chixi Red Soil Art Project initiated jointly by Haicheng District and the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, serves as a crucial lever for accelerating rural cultural construction in Haicheng District, promoting rural revitalization, and fostering deep integration between the cultural tourism industry. It represents a collaborative effort among government, universities, enterprises, and the public to build a beautiful art village model that integrates "art + culture + ecology + sightseeing + industry."

Yang Dongjiang

Yang Dongjiang pointed out that the Chixi Red Soil Art Project is an innovative, experimental, and forward-looking contemporary art practice. This art project is expected to attract more artistic forces to contribute to rural construction in Beihai and even across the country in the future, making villages more beautiful, livable, and vibrant.

Wei Jin

Wei Jin, the lead artist of the project and a Ph.D. candidate at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, introduced that the Chixi Red Earth Art Project aims to embed contemporary art creation into Chixi Village, establishing it as a cultural symbol of the village. This initiative enhances interactive experiences between the artworks, villagers, and visitors, thereby boosting local cultural tourism development. This sustainable development model, mediated through "art cultivation," offers new ideas and directions for rural revitalization and the advancement of contemporary art creation.

Photo of all guests and young artists at the opening ceremony.