Reviving cultural greatness

From crumbs to incomes

West of Banchangyu, Shixia village in Beijing's northwestern Yanqing district offers another model of Great Wall revitalization.

On weekends and holidays, travelers flock to the village to sip coffee at a restored farmhouse, learn dough sculpting from local artisans, and hike a trail along the ridge where the Great Wall meets the forest.

Founded during the Ming Dynasty, the village sits at the foot of the Shixiaguan section. For decades, its remote mountain location limited development. That gradually began to change after China introduced its first Great Wall protection regulation in 2006.

Villagers formed protection teams, while entrepreneurs and cultural tourism operators started restoring abandoned courtyards. One of them was He Yuling, who arrived in 2014 and rented a crumbling traditional courtyard house on a 20-year lease. Villagers initially found the decision puzzling.

She answered with action. Today, her Shiguang Great Wall Boutique B&B brand operates 18 renovated courtyards, each with a different theme, such as spring dwelling, quiet summer and winter retreat.

She brought her family's sauce-making recipe to the village and combined it with the local stone-cooked feast. Annual revenue has exceeded 10 million yuan ($1.47 million).

Some villagers now run their own guesthouses, while others work in tourism and hospitality.

Gu Wenting, the Party secretary of Shixia village, has witnessed the transformation firsthand since returning from the military in 2013.

"The spirit of the whole village changed completely, and people have become more confident about what the village can become," Gu says.

"The sense of honor, belonging and purpose — all of it has risen."

A 6-kilometer forest trail opened beside the Great Wall at the end of 2025 after more than two years of planning and construction. Following the mountain's contours, the trail connects visitors with a nearby section while preserving the original landscape. Since its opening, it has attracted more than 20,000 hikers, according to local officials.

The village's collective income reached 1.2 million yuan in 2025, a 75 percent year-on-year increase.

"This number represents a real leap forward. Our cultural tourism industry has taken off, and the village's reputation has spread," Gu observes.

At the village entrance, signs point visitors toward coffee shops, bookstores and workshops on intangible cultural heritage. A 40-hectare crabapple orchard has just been upgraded, offering tours, picking, and study programs.

At dusk, children run through a campground. The smell of braised pork drifts from guesthouse kitchens.

According to Gu, the village plans to expand its Great Wall study programs next year while adding new camping and lodging facilities for young travelers.

"We want visitors to stay longer and experience village life more deeply," he says.