In 2021, the Planning Guidelines for the Development of Rural Neighborhoods in Shanghai (Trial), which covered planning guidelines, management coordination, multi-party participation, and implementation of actions and clarified the concepts, norms, standards and methods of developing rural neighborhoods, was officially released. It provides effective guidelines for the planning and construction of rural neighborhoods.

Tangwan Village in Luojing Town, one of the first 9 demonstration villages that implement rural revitalization strategy in Shanghai and a national civilized village, boasts exceptionally favorable natural conditions, “an excellent ecological environment” and well-preserved rural landscape.

Inside the village is 1000mu forest covering 40% of the land area and 20 watercourses of which the water quality is Class II or III. With clean water, beautiful fields, splendid forest, secluded roads and beauteous houses, the village is well known for its well-preserved natural environment where fish are swimming in rivers and birds are flying around in the forest. It makes us wonder what the blueprint of Tangwan Village for the popular 15-minute rural neighborhood is. 

3 years ago, Tangwan Village only had one villagers’ activity center where facilities and equipment were old and shabby, and Luojing Park was the most frequently visited place of rest and recreation. At present, Tangwan Village has scientifically developed a 15-munite rural neighborhood composed of four parts in the east, west, south and north in the context of rural revitalization step by step. 

In the east are mahjong and chess rooms, places for rest and recreation and convenient service centers. In the west are venues for education, medical care, sports, cultural activities, child care and catering. In the south are places for parent-child reading and broadcast of films, rural libraries, and villagers’ sports centers. In the north are featured meeting rooms, cooking studios and intangible cultural heritages. Tourists departing from any villagers’ group may reach the villager’s activity center within 15 minutes. 

Villagers now enjoy “one-stop” public service. 

The brand-new villager’s service center occupies land of 2,250 m2 where offline community service machines and community service branches providing 88 community services are available. Village cadres have made efforts to save villagers from running around. 

12 specialist physicians employed by the township health service center will visit the village’s health service center twice every month to provide service on site. Sharing of health information is realized and multi-purpose medical cards are used for medical service. Health insurance claims are settled in a timely manner, and villagers are provided with services like face-to-face diagnosis and treatment, health education, and outpatient appointment at higher-level hospitals in the health care system. Villagers now have access to over 100 commonly used drugs. Seeking medical advice from specialist physicians is not a difficulty for villagers any more.  

In addition, cultural services are accessible and within reach of the villagers. 

The Gujiazhai Neighborhood Center, which was transformed from a storehouse of farm tools, has become an important part of the party-masses service system and the place where “local respectable persons” serve and communicate with the villagers. Meeting rooms designed for the discussion of family, clan and village affairs are also venues for villagers to have gatherings and to chatter gaily just like in their own living rooms.

The village also has a cross-stitch (intangible cultural heritage) studio where female embroidery workers have embroidery competitions, and a cooking studio where villagers chat about domestic trivia and make traditional light refreshments like Sixi Rice Cake, Huntun and pancakes with clay stoves.  

Villagers may also have fun in the field. 

Tangwan Village has developed a number of popular places for leisure on the basis of excellent ecological environment and determined industrial development plans after giving full consideration to villagers’ opinions.

For example, Day Lily Cultural Garden and Unpowered Amusement Park are available for villagers to take a walk and to explore the mysterious nature amid the sound of insects and frogs. Tourists may experience unique local culture by having a close contact with Luojing cross-stitch work, watching Shanghai opera and tasting Sixi Rice Cake.   

To explore and develop the 15-minute rural neighborhood, Tangwan Village is making continuous efforts to seek innovative cooperation mode and to fully tap market potential, while giving full consideration to self-governance of villagers and refined rural management. It is striving for a bright future where the elderly live happily, young people return to the village to work, children preserve innocence and have fun outdoor, and those who live in urban areas have a chance to experience idyllic rural life in Shanghai.