Shangren Village, Wukeng Township, Qingtian County

Shangren Village, located in Wukeng Township, Qingtian County, at the southernmost tip of Lishui City, is an ancient mountain village with nearly a thousand years of history. The village has a population of 635 people, 90% of whom are engaged in business or work outside the village. Most of the remaining villagers are elderly and children, and at its lowest point, the village had only about 30 residents. In the past, the village was filled with open-air cesspits, most houses were made of mud, and many roofs had collapsed. The roads in the village were also muddy paths. Villagers were reluctant to invite friends and relatives to their homes. In October 2009, the village committee decided to renovate the old village of Shangren. After inspecting various surrounding counties, the Shangren Village Old Village Renovation Leadership Group formulated a renovation plan tailored to the village's characteristics. With the support of all villagers, Shangren Village demolished all 126 houses in just one month. In addition to demolishing dangerous and old houses, the village also demolished 95 pig and cattle pens and 32 latrines free of charge. The construction of roads and collective land occupied 68 houses, covering an area of 3,775 square meters. All basic infrastructure has now been completed, achieving road access to every household in the village. Members of the Shangren Village Old Village Renovation Leadership Group, along with some affluent villagers, raised funds to provide certain subsidies to each household in difficulty. They also plan to pave all village roads, build a leisure square, two parking lots, and two public toilets. The next steps include constructing supporting facilities in the village: sewage treatment, tap water renovation, and streetlight renovation, with the main goal of transforming the village into a new rural area where villagers can enjoy a city-like lifestyle. In January 2022, it was selected for the 2017 list of 3A-level scenic villages in Zhejiang Province.