Rent a holiday home for 20 years for US$1,000: how one Chinese town is trying to revive the rural economy
- The project, which turns vacant houses in Dashuibo, Shandong into community spaces and second homes, is an experiment in poverty alleviation
- Tenants commit to spending US$30,000 on renovations, and must buy at least US$760 worth of produce from local farms every year
A government-backed experiment aimed at revitalising the rural economy in eastern China is offering cheap farmhouse rentals to city residents.
For about US$1,000 over 20 years, or US$50 per year, they can rent a farmhouse in Dashuibo, a town with a population of 35,000 in Shandong province. Tenants have to commit to spending at least another US$30,000 on renovations to their property, and agree to buy at least US$760 worth of produce from local farmers every year.
The local government subsidises the project and, for the time being at least, it is not being operated for profit. Besides a bargain, new tenants find other benefits.
“I came because there are a lot of interesting people here,” said Li Weishi, a 53-year-old entrepreneur who runs a food company in the northern city of Harbin. “A peaceful view is just one aspect. I am more attracted by the fact that I can be close to talented people and get inspired.”
Li is one of the 33 city people who took up the offer during its initial roll-out. These new residents are successful professionals and know each other through mutual friends. Most of them come to the town for holidays.
