Actually, this “slow town” is comprised of a group of villages. A zigzagging asphalt road (rare in rural China where roads are usually paved with cement) slopes up and down as it stretches over the horizon. Patches of knee-high yellow heronsbills along the road sway in the wind, seemingly greeting guests from afar. Pristine mountains and forests, crystal clear water, varying shades of green and clusters of traditional Anhui-style houses featuring grey eaves and white walls together create a tranquil pastoral landscape romanticizing the area south of the Yangtze River.
Like many small towns in China, Yaxi has changed much since the reform and opening up started in the late 1970s. Young people left the village for work and returned to construct two and three-story buildings with the money they earned. Life in the village has gradually improved. In 2004, officials carefully planned for construction of a country road, “eco-tour,” to connect the six picturesque villages and their combined 20,000 residents. Local governments hoped to develop eco-tourism with their unique ecological resources. In 2009, the first Yaxi Golden Flower Festival attracted a flood of visitors from Nanjing to see the area’s blooming canolas.
How did Yaxi become a Cittaslow town? Zhang Tingsheng, Party secretary of Lanxi Village, Yaxi Town, is one resident who witnessed the town’s decades of changes first-hand. He outlined the story of Yaxi and Cittaslow.
A couple of years ago, with the help of an overseas Chinese friend, Gaochun County and Pollica of Italy became sister cities. In the spring of 2010, Angelo Vassallo, then mayor of Pollica as well as vice-president of Cittaslow, received a letter with photos inviting him to take part in Yaxi’s second Golden Flower Festival. He fell in love with the blooming canolas at first sight of the pictures. Months later, he visited Gaochun for a third time. On the tour, he asked to visit Yaxi. There, he wondered around a lot and talked with many of the villagers. “It reminds me of my hometown,” he sighed from the eco-tour road while looking across the endless scenery. “Every standard of an international slow town can be found here.”
Since 1999, when Cittaslow convened for its first international assembly in Orvieto, Italy, more than 140 cities in 24 countries have been dubbed “slow towns.” Most of these cities are scattered across rural Poland, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Germany, France, UK, Switzerland, South Korea and Japan.To rebel against fast-paced modernization and advocate a return to slower living, Cittaslow has set a series of rigorous standards, such as full membership open only to towns with a population under 50,000. In a Cittaslow town, driving speed is limited to 20 kilometers an hour, and no horns are allowed. A Cittaslow town also frowns upon pollution and noise and favors green energy resources, traditional manual work and plentiful greenery in which people can relax. Billboards, neon lights, massive supermarkets and fast food such as McDonald’s are strictly forbidden in a Cittaslow town. Additionally, harmonious neighborhood relationships and greater time spent with family and educating children are encouraged. Cittaslow organizes regular inspections of member towns to ensure each condition is being strictly carried out.
Yaxi’s application was approved at the International Assembly of Cittaslow in Scotland on November 27, 2010, making it the first Chinese member of the organization.
Now, the sign of a snail, the logo of Cittaslow, can be found everywhere in this small and tranquil town south of the Yangtze River you can visit there through your Yangtze River tour- on road signs, on farmers’ courtyard walls, and even on colorful banners floating in the wind of the fields. It is stipulated in Cittaslow constitution that this logo should be visible in public facilities and as many private facilities as possible to advocate the concept of slow living in formal visual forms.
The Cittaslow member of Yaxi includes six administrative villages. Lanxi Village, where Zhang works, is the core demonstration area, surrounded by a dozen natural villages, most of which have already become “slow.”
Zhang revealed that Yaxi has accomplished much to satisfy Cittaslow’s standards even though it’s natural conditions were already ideal. For instance, the eco-tour road in the village was originally cement, and later it was repaved with asphalt according to Cittaslow requirements. In the past, local grape trellises were mostly built with cement for durability, but now they have all been replaced with wooden structures. To increase yields, a few farmers used to use artificial fertilizers, but now local governments have been persuading them to substitute organic alternatives. At the core of every requirement is making improvements that remove artificial facilities and those incompatible with nature in favor of ecological and environmentally friendly options.
“The title of ‘international slow town’ is a golden signboard,” Zhang Tingsheng proclaimed, words which echoed throughout the villages. Soon after achieving the status, Yaxi drew media focus, and has attracted a steady stream of visitors from other parts of the country, and even foreign journalists and backpackers.
Business is booming at agri-tourism facilities. Without needing guidance and instructions from the government, many former residents who left for work have returned to start businesses. So far, 22 rural caterers and eight rural inns have opened in town. “Those in the business average per capita income of 30,000 to 40,000 yuan a year,” Zhang notes. Now the local government is no longer worried about attracting tourists. Instead, it is focused on providing good service to visitors, especially during festivals, holidays, and peak China tourism season.
Paradoxically, Cittaslow’s “slow” philosophy has accelerated the area’s tourism growth and quickly attracted a flood of tourists. How can Yaxi keep balanced?
Zhang explains that the main purpose of a Cittaslow town is to benefit locals as well as visitors with the enjoyment of “slow living,” and to help the lifestyle become more accepted. The goal is not to develop a scenic zone. “Many ask where to find the Cittaslow town when they arrive here,” grins Zhang. “I have to tell them they’re already in the slow town. We may not have many exciting attractions and we try to keep as few buildings as possible in the area. Here, we celebrate the art of mother earth and lives of ordinary people. Many visitors come just to see what a Cittaslow town looks like. We want to tell them to spend several days in one of our rural inns viewing the scenery, taking deep breaths of fresh air, and falling asleep to the croaking of frogs and awakening to the tweeting of birds.”
Here you can enjoy the life and think the meaning of life and you may have a different experience but Yaxi is not a destination of top 10 China tours.
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