Society

A Sichuan township thinks French

By Guo Changdong (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-04-27 14:05

A street in Bailu, Pengzhou city, southwest China's Sichuan province, April 23, 2011. [Photo/chengdu.cn]

Bailu, a township severely damaged by the 8.0 earthquake that struck Sichuan province on May 12, 2008, is at work building itself into a tourism destination with a French touch, 100 years after a French missionary built a Catholic church in the town.

With the help of thousands of laborers, the missionary built the church, Shangshuyuan, to train future missionaries.

Part of the church was buried by a mudslide in the 1970s, but its main building was left standing. Before the 2008 earthquake, amorous couples flocked to the romantic spot for wedding photos. The town's only French building collapsed in the quake, but that did not stop efforts by local residents to lure tourists to new French attractions.

"We are determined to make tourism our pillar industry," said Gao Tiancheng, Party chief of Bailu, "We have to change our development approach, or we will end in a dead end."

The township, a two-hour drive from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, used to rely on coal mining as its major industry.

"The small coal pits were destroying our environment. Rivers became dark, and woods were diminishing," Gao said.

By the end of 2006, 11 of the 12 mines were shut down, and the environment began improving. Residents in neighboring cities such as Chengdu began spending their summers in this mountain village surrounded by Longmenshan Mountain.

But tourism went to a halt in 2008 when the deadly earthquake struck Sichuan province. The local government decided to rebuild the damaged town with traditional French buildings.

"We have to find a unique way for developing the tourism. Compared to other ancient towns in Sichuan, we have few ancient buildings left but we have a long history with the French," said Gao.

The government invited designers from Chengdu to create a blueprint. The plan called for all buildings in the town center to be built or renovated in the French style of architecture and design.

Meanwhile, every household can receive a 20,000 yuan subsidy from the government and another 8,000 yuan per person if they agree to turn their house site into farm land. Residents can choose building their houses by themselves, or the township government will build the projects. But the exterior decoration must be done by companies designated by the local government.

At first, not all the villagers were happy with the plan. Some thought the high-roofed buildings would not be pretty, prove more costly and have less usable space than traditional local farmers' houses.

The government persuaded the villagers that they would have higher income once the town could allure visitors with the township's French architecture. After some French houses were built, villagers started to accept the plan after finding the buildings were prettier than they imagined.

Today, one street with a French bar and a castle named Chateaux de Loire has been completed, and another is nearing completion. Both streets are expected to officially begin welcoming visitors on May 12, the third anniversary of the 2008 earthquake. The collapsed Catholic church is also under reconstruction. With government funds and a $20 million loan from Agence Française de Développement, the town is also upgrading its facilities.

It will take time for the township to realize its French dream. Even the best hotel in town has no air conditioning and can not promise 24-hour supplies of hot water. Local farmers also have to learn how to welcome tourists.

"Some tourists were disappointed when they visited during this year's Spring Festival because all the restaurants were closed. Local farmers do not open for business during the festival," Gao said.

"But I have confidence, and so do the residents. One volunteer from Hong Kong told me the town's greatest change is that our confidence is back," Gao said.