Evidence-backed

Qingshan Village

East China · Zhejiang · Huanghu Town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou

Qingshan Village青山村

Once a hollowed-out village that lived off selling raw bamboo, now a Hangzhou "future village" case co-written by the RONG Design Library, Qingshan Nature School and over a hundred new residents.

Future VillageCraft ResearchNature EducationNew-Resident CommunityNear Hangzhou

CatalogQingshan Village

✨ AI-assisted · sourced

East China · Zhejiang

Enter via Hangzhou

Subtropical monsoon

Four distinct seasons — the plum-rain season falls around June

Half–1 day

Good as a deep day trip out of Hangzhou

United Kingdom

30-day visa-free

NIA · 2026-07

Why it's special

Why It's Special

From a hollowed-out village that once lived off selling bamboo, to a place designers, artists and researchers choose to stay.

Qingshan Village sits in Huanghu Town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, at the core of the Da Jingshan Rural National Forest Park, with forest coverage running around 79.9%. Just over a decade ago this was a hollowed-out village — its young people gone, living mostly off selling raw bamboo. Starting in 2014, The Nature Conservancy took an interest in protecting the village's small water source, and together with the Alibaba Foundation and Vanke Trust launched the "Good Water Fund," beginning with a watershed-protection project at Longwu Reservoir. That project gradually pulled in nature education, design research and eco-agriculture. Today Qingshan is one of Hangzhou's flagship "future village" cases — the RONG Design Library, Qingshan Nature School and the Qingshan Youth Community have all put down roots here, drawing over a hundred designers, artists and environmental workers to settle.

Culture

A traditional-materials research institute inside a former auditorium

Designer Zhang Lei's team converted the village's abandoned Dongwu Hall into the RONG Design Library in 2018, after about 10 months of renovation
The library runs a 10-year research plan launched in 2012, working systematically through Chinese traditional materials and crafts — bamboo, silk, earth, copper — year by year
It has catalogued over 300 types of handmade paper, plus archives on weaving, dyeing, joinery and casting
Open Tuesday–Sunday (09:00–12:00, 13:30–18:00); visits and courses can be booked — check the official channel before you go

RONG Design Library official site (ronglibrary.com)

Community

From a hollowed-out village to a "future village" experiment with over a hundred new residents

A small-watershed protection project led by The Nature Conservancy from 2014 was the starting point of Qingshan's transformation
As of April 2026, over 130 designers, artists and environmental workers have settled here as "new residents"
Disused auditoriums, factories and a kindergarten have been converted into shared spaces like the RONG Design Library and the Qingshan Youth Community's Longwu Li / Lisanpan
In 2025, Qingshan's collective operating income jumped to ¥4.1 million from ¥668,000 in 2019, with visitor numbers up roughly 50% over the same period

Hangzhou Daily, 2026-04-29

Nature

A nature-education base among bamboo groves, a creek and a forest park

Sits at the core of the Da Jingshan Rural National Forest Park, with forest coverage around 79.9%
Qingshan Nature School was converted from a disused village primary school in 2019, its main building built with traditional rammed-earth technique
The school runs nature-education programs year-round, mostly hosting K-12 study-tour groups (over 6,000 student visits from January to August alone, per a 2019 report)
Roughly 500-plus mu of bamboo groves around Longwu Reservoir were the starting point of the small-watershed protection project

China Daily (chuangxin.chinadaily.com.cn), 2019

Honest fit

Not a photo-op stop — a village story that rewards slowing down

There's no traditional "scenic gate" here — the RONG Design Library and Qingshan Nature School are research/education institutions, not commercial attractions; check official opening info before you go
Best for deep travelers curious about rural revitalization, design research, nature education and co-living experiments — not a great fit for a quick photo-op visit
Based on its positioning, it should also suit deep-culture travelers, first-timers to China, and slow/long-stay travelers — though that's still provisional and needs real visitors to help calibrate
Dining and lodging infrastructure is still growing — confirm directly with local organizations before you arrive

place_soul · fit_audience

Itineraries

Not a checklist of stops to tick off — a look at how one village weaves bamboo, a research library and its new residents into the same life.

01
RONG Design Library: taking apart a traditional material
A traditional-materials research institute converted from a disused auditorium — see how materials like bamboo, silk, earth and copper get systematically taken apart and reunderstood. Open Tuesday–Sunday (09:00–12:00, 13:30–18:00); check the official channel before you go in case it's closed.
02
A walk by the bamboo-grove creek
Walk a stretch along Longwu Reservoir and its surrounding bamboo groves — the starting point of the 2014 small-watershed protection project, and the geographic origin of Qingshan's shift from bamboo sales to nature education and design research. A good spot for a simple lunch at a local family kitchen along the way — options are limited, so ask locally.
03
Qingshan Nature School: rammed-earth architecture and garden
A nature-education base converted from a disused village school, its main building keeping the traditional rammed-earth technique. Programs mainly serve K-12 study-tour groups — confirm ahead whether an individual visit is possible; even just seeing the architecture and garden is worth the stop.
04
Qingshan Youth Community: a feel for "new resident" life
The Qingshan Youth Community (Longwu Li, Lisanpan) is a co-living / gathering space for settled "new residents" and long-stayers — Lisanpan was converted from a disused kindergarten. It's built mainly for residents rather than tourists; short-term visitors can pass through and take in the atmosphere, but confirm directly with local organizers if hoping to stay.

Coordinates: Tianditu · OpenStreetMap

Don't miss

Don't Miss

Not a sightseeing list — things worth slowing down for, once.

1
Step into the RONG Design Library
Walk into a traditional-materials research institute built from a former auditorium, and see how materials like bamboo, silk, earth and copper get systematically taken apart and reunderstood. Open Tuesday–Sunday — check the official channel before you go in case it's closed that day.
2
Walk a stretch of Longwu Reservoir and its bamboo groves
This is where the 2014 small-watershed protection project began — the geographic origin point of Qingshan's shift from "living off bamboo sales" to "nature education plus design research." Worth a slow walk and a listen to how that story unfolded.
3
Take a look at Qingshan Nature School
A nature-education base converted from a disused village school, its main building keeping the traditional rammed-earth technique. Programs mainly serve K-12 study-tour groups — individual visitors should confirm ahead whether a visit is possible; even just seeing the rammed-earth architecture and garden is worth the walk.
4
Get a feel for "new resident" life at the Qingshan Youth Community
The Qingshan Youth Community (Longwu Li, Lisanpan) is a co-living / gathering space for settled "new residents" and long-stayers — Lisanpan was converted from a disused kindergarten. It's built mainly for residents rather than tourists; short-term visitors can pass through and take in the atmosphere, but confirm directly with local organizers if you're hoping to stay.

Eat & bring home

Eat & Bring Home

This isn't a food destination — home-cooking choices are limited, and most visitors treat central Hangzhou or old Yuhang town as their main food supply.

1
Spring bamboo shoots
The hilly Yuhang area around Qingshan has long been known for its raw bamboo — bamboo shoots are a common seasonal ingredient on local family tables, at their best around March–April.
Usually vegetarianMay add meat
Often vegetarian, though some preparations stir-fry it with meat — confirm when ordering.
2
Local home cooking
Small family-run kitchens or studio eateries, often run jointly by new residents and villagers. Menus and hours vary — check ahead; this isn't a place with much dining variety.
Varies by kitchenAsk the menu
Vegetarian / halal options depend on the individual kitchen — ask ahead.

VegetarianMedium–Hard

Choices at family kitchens are limited — basic vegetarian options exist but need advance communication.

VeganHard

Home cooking commonly uses meat for flavor or in stir-fries — going vegan is genuinely hard; arrange ahead with your host.

HalalHard

Halal options are essentially unavailable in the village — bring your own or stock up in central Hangzhou first.

Know before you order

This is a village built around research, education and community-building, not dining — options really are limited.
Most family kitchens and studio eateries keep irregular hours — call ahead or check on-site notices.
Strict vegetarian/halal travelers should stock up in central Hangzhou or old Yuhang town before coming.

The spending that actually matters here goes to the small studios and shared-prosperity workshops run by the "new residents" themselves — a bag of dried bamboo shoots or a piece of bamboo weaving does more for this transitioning village than a souvenir bought at a chain store in central Hangzhou.

Good to know

Good to Know

Getting there

Getting around

Where to stay

Police / entry-exit desk

Health & emergencies

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This feels more like a growing rural community than a mature attraction — most spaces have limited opening hours, so confirm with the RONG Design Library or Qingshan Nature School before you go; village roads have limited night lighting, so take care if driving or cycling after dark.

Reality check

Reality Check

The honest take

If you want a village attraction you can swipe a ticket into and photograph, Qingshan might feel like there's "not much to see." But if you're curious how a hollowed-out village turns into somewhere designers and researchers actually choose to stay, this is a rare, still-unfolding case study.

Limited opening hours — don't show up blind

Neither the RONG Design Library nor Qingshan Nature School is a round-the-clock commercial attraction — confirm opening hours and whether booking is needed before you go.

Built for "new residents" first, tourists second

Spaces like the Qingshan Youth Community are designed for settled residents and researchers — short-term visitors mostly pass through and take in the atmosphere, rather than consume it as a packaged tourist product.

Booking & registration

Guesthouses and co-living spaces in the village are limited, and some are mainly for residents. Confirm before booking whether they host foreign guests and can complete accommodation registration.

In China, hotels handle your registration; for guesthouses or other non-hotel stays, you usually register at the nearest police station within 24 hours of arrival.

Village roads & driving

The village's road network is simple but some lanes are narrow with limited night lighting. If hiring a taxi or car, confirm pickup arrangements ahead of time — check current fares and schedules on site or through official channels.

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Is it for you?

Is It For You

👍 You'll love it if you…

Are interested in rural revitalization, community-building or design research
Enjoy nature education and sustainable ways of living
Want to see a real village case study, not an over-packaged one
Are a digital nomad or remote worker curious about China's rural co-living experiments

😟 You might be let down if you…

Only want a polished, ready-made scenic-area day trip
Need plenty of dining and lodging choice
Are strictly vegetarian/halal and don't want to arrange the menu ahead
Expect drop-in commercial spaces rather than research/education institutions you need to contact ahead

If you're staying a while (settling in)Cost of living, rent, climate, remote-work readiness — the long-stay data lives here.

Housing & prices

Lodging is mostly guesthouses and co-living spaces — no long-term rental type or price data on file yet

Remote-work setup

No coworking or work-friendly café data on file; the RONG Design Library and Qingshan Nature School are research/education institutions, not spaces built for remote work

Honest notes

This suits people settling in as "new residents" or deeply engaging with community projects more than it suits a short-term tourist stay
Dining and lodging infrastructure is still developing — try a few short days before committing to anything longer
Rural transport links are limited — if you'll need to shuttle in and out of central Hangzhou often, factor that commute in

Daily texture

Upside: high forest coverage and a quiet setting — good for anyone into nature and a slower pace
Upside: the "new resident" community has a genuine design/research/public-good background — conversations here can run deeper than at a typical long-stay destination
Downside: infrastructure isn't built for short-term visitors, and it's still thin

Finding community

The community here is mostly "new residents" — designers, artists and environmental workers — with over 130 settled as of an April 2026 report
The Qingshan Youth Community (Longwu Li, Lisanpan) is a co-living / gathering space for new residents and long-stayers

Hangzhou Daily, 2026-04-29

Who you'll meet

Deep travelers interested in rural revitalization, sustainable design or nature education
People considering a short residency in a rural co-living / co-creation project (contact local organizers first)

Where to next

Where to Next

From Qingshan outward — a few options around Hangzhou.

Mogan Mountain

A resort area right next door, known for its hillside guesthouses and "foreign-style" retreats — about 19km / a 30-minute drive.

Hangzhou

Qingshan's Yuhang District is administratively part of Hangzhou — the city center is about 50km / a 1-hour drive away, with far more mature infrastructure to use as a base.

Wuzhen Water Town

A classic water town in northern Zhejiang — roughly a 2–2.5 hour drive depending on route, a good way to extend the trip and see a different, canal-town side of the Jiangnan region.

Foreign driving permits work differently in China — read the "Transport" chapter of the country guide before you go. See the site guide →

Travel responsibly

Travel Responsibly

Travel isn't only about the view — it's about living alongside a place with respect.

01 · Respect the "new resident" community & research institutions

Don't enter private studios or homes that aren't open to visitors
Confirm opening hours before visiting the RONG Design Library or Qingshan Nature School — don't disrupt teaching or research
Ask before photographing residents or "new residents"

02 · Protect the forest and water source

Stay on marked trails — don't enter the core watershed protection zone
Don't litter, especially near water sources like Longwu Reservoir
Don't pick wild plants beyond bamboo shoots, and don't disturb the bamboo-grove ecosystem

03 · Support the local new-resident economy, not just a photo op

Favor local shared-prosperity workshops and new-resident studios when you spend
For bamboo weaving and other crafts, buy directly from local artisans where you can
Treat Qingshan as a community still finding its shape, not a photo backdrop