In Shanghai, there is a prosperous but paradise-like village - Hemu Village, Zhaoxiang Town, Qingpu District. Appreciating the lotus and listening to the wind, strolling on the water street, resting in the courtyard, the fresh and simple rural atmosphere and exquisite commercial temperament are suitable for busy urbanites to come and go here to "class taste" and be in a daze.
Driving into the village from north to south from Yinggang East Road, the wind blows the rice waves and rolls, and in the middle of summer, the lotus flowers in the village bloom one after another, becoming a rare natural landscape.
In the early morning, when the first rays of sunlight shine through the treetops and sprinkle on the surface of the lake in Harmony Village, the lotus flowers begin to slowly wake up. When the surface of the lake is calm as a mirror, the reflection of the lotus flowers is clearly visible. Large or small, high or low, they are scattered on the surface of the lake, forming a vivid picture. Crystal dew drops hang from the petals, swaying gently in the breeze, as if singing softly in the morning light. As the sun rises, the lotus flowers still stand proudly, not afraid of the scorching sun, the colors become more vivid, and the petals are fuller, as if showing the vitality of summer to the world.
As a typical suburban village in Shanghai, Harmony Village was awarded the title of Shanghai Rural Revitalization Demonstration Village in 2021, Shanghai Rural Revitalization Advanced Collective in 2022, and China's Beautiful Leisure Village in 2023.
With the advancement of rural revitalization, the superior geographical location and neat appearance of Harmony Village have attracted many investors. In 2021, Harmony Village and Hongdou Group reached a cooperation intention to jointly develop the cultural tourism industry, and build a characteristic block integrating commercial, homestay, catering, art, and humanities on the banks of the Xujing River - Harmony Water Street, and redevelop the village houses in the form of whole or partial lease, so as to promote the revitalization of rural industries and the increase of villagers' income.
The owner Wang Shouwei is a famous designer, who designed and developed this place into a courtyard-style restaurant with his own design concept, which not only fulfilled his "rural dream", but also created an Internet celebrity check-in point. "The courtyard is very beautiful and stands out from every angle." Ms. Zhang, a citizen who came here, said that she specially invited a friend to come here to take beautiful photos.
In spring, you can enjoy the flowers, in autumn you can smell the fragrance of the valley, you can fish, taste coffee, and experience farming and water sports with kinetic energy, this is the "Pastoral Dream" of the pastoral complex created by Harmony Village and Shanghai Tianyuan Dream Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. This ecological agriculture leisure and sightseeing park, which is supported by thousands of acres of land and integrates the functions of planting and breeding science popularization and production experience, allows tourists to experience various suburban fun in the beautiful scenery, and introduces traffic to the countryside and feeds back to the countryside.
Nowadays, the increasingly rich commercial formats in the village have attracted many citizens to come to experience the rural culture, and the villagers are hospitable, selling their own local products and handmade products along the street, and also sharing the rural lifestyle and traditional customs with tourists. Grandma Cai harvested her own rice amaranth, water spinach and other vegetables, set up a stall on the water street, and there were homemade oil piers and other snacks on the opposite side to make and sell, "There are many people on weekends, business is quite good, and I can't be busy!" ”
Listen to the sound of the wind blowing the rice waves, enjoy the "summer limited" of the lotus flowers in the pond, and rest in the corner of Zhishui Street, come here to feel the tranquility and harmony of the countryside, and find the paradise in people's hearts in the "half city and half countryside".
Text / Photo: Xu Yibin