Wall painting of Palin Village. Photographed by Chen Yixiao

Home stay in Palen Village. He Youcheng

The villagers are carrying out artistic activities. Photographed by Chen Yixiao

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At night, creative verse lights illuminate the village; In the art museum, local villagers hold art exhibitions; In the Brocade House, the exquisite Dai brocade is flying at the fingertips... Entering the Palin Village, Wuhe Township, Tengchong City, Yunnan Province, the injection of art not only narrows the distance between the villagers and traditional culture and modern art, but also turns the traditional village into a poetic village, bringing popularity and vitality to the village.

At the foot of Gaoligong Mountain and beside the Longchuan River, Palen Village, Wuhe Township, Tengchong City, Yunnan Province is located here.

At night, with the colorful creative poem lights, the night is illuminated by poetic lights. By my side, thousands of lights are like a river; Looking up, the poetry is as brilliant as a star.

The former Palin Village is not prominent in Tengchong, which is home to many traditional villages. At the end of 2019, the artist Xin Wang Jun and his team came here to take the step of art changing the countryside. Based on the local village resource endowment, integrate ancient folk customs and modern art, drive the integration of culture and tourism, and activate local economic development. This village, once forgotten by many people, has become a "poetic village".

Warm lights, retain poetic nostalgia

"Please pay attention to finding the 'moon'. There are many 'moons' in our village. They may be on the treetop, on the wall, or in poetry. Let's see if you can find them!" Chen Yixiao, the head of Wuhe Township Cultural Station, walked all the way and smiled to remind the tourists in the village.

At his prompt, the reporter looked up and saw the moon decoration hanging high on the roof of the cowshed. "The moon is light, and art is also a beam of light, reflecting the brilliance of traditional villages." Xin Wang Jun, who was beside him, told about his idea of artistic transformation.

Xin Wang Jun once launched art activities in Lianghe County, Yunnan Province in 2017 and 2018, making the monotonous lane lively and interesting, attracting many tourists. At that time, Palin Village was struggling to find the development highlights. So Chen Yixiao sent an invitation to Xin Wang Jun and his team.

Recalling the scene when he just arrived at Palin Village, Xin Wangjun clearly remembered that in order to find inspiration for artistic transformation, he walked around the village. "At about seven or eight o'clock in the evening, I suddenly felt that the village was a little dark and lacked some warm lights." An idea crossed Xinwang Jun's mind: to create a beautiful "Night Palin" with poetry as the theme, lighting as the carrier, and Dai characteristics.

The alleys in the village are crisscross, and you may get lost if you are not careful. When night falls, Palin Village is lit by poetry and lights on time. A string of colorful lights written in creative fonts illuminate the direction of everyone's progress. Xin Wangjun said, "From the head of the village to the end of the village, from modern poetry to ancient poetry, all the way through the alleys, the time and space elements are intertwined, just like going back to ancient times from modern times."

Light elements have been applied to many corners of the village. "Let this Dai village regain its charm in an artistic way. With temperature and content, it will attract more young people," said Xin Wangjun.

Artistic creation stimulates endogenous power

A TV set embedded in a loess brick wall is marked "Your Art Museum".

This used to be an idle village house. Through the transformation of the artist team, it has become a village art museum managed by the villagers themselves.

"The art museum is not ours, nor theirs, but yours." Xin Wang Jun explained that art changes the village not only by wall painting, but also by connecting art with villagers and villages. Only in this way can Palen Village become a real art village. Therefore, Xin Wang Jun decided to build an art museum with the villagers - "your art museum".

In their daily life with artists, villagers have gradually developed a strong interest in painting. Children's colorful graffiti tiles, and improvised paintings by construction workers and villagers have all become works in the art gallery. As soon as the "Your Art Museum" was built, two exhibitions were held: the first was to transform the works of two construction workers in the museum; The second time was the painting exhibition of local villager Yang Zhengbin.

"My hometown is very small, so small that it can only hold the food."

A short poem with only 13 words is inscribed on the roof of your art gallery. This poem is also one of the inspiration sources for Xinwang Army to transform the village at first.

"The word 'hometown' is a connection of emotion. We hope to give the village to people living here through the injection of art. The village is the home of villagers, and also a home for tourists on their journey." Xin Wangjun said, telling stories with creation, and letting the villagers speak for the village themselves.

This idea finally landed in a mural at the entrance of the village: "The little girl who loves taking pictures". The girl in the picture is named Yang Zixuan, a Dai girl born and raised in Palian Village. In the painting, she playfully raises the camera and witnesses the development and change of the village with her own lens. Because of this creative mural, this ordinary black brick wall has become the "front man" in the village, and also the "online red card punching point" in the minds of tourists.

Excavate folk customs and form characteristic resources

All the way into the brocade home, I saw several Dai women in the village were skillfully weaving brocades. With fingertips flying and shuttling, the Dai brocade with exquisite weaving and unique patterns bloomed in their hands. Although the home of brocade is very impressive now, the Dai brocade technique was once lost in Palin Village. "Restoring brocade skills can not only inherit the traditional Dai culture, but also add new tourism resources to the village," said Chen Yixiao.

Bai Xingxiu and several sisters are the only villagers in the village who have ever contacted the brocade. In order to carry forward this skill again, they studied everywhere and finally found "Shifu" in a Dai village in Longling County, Yunnan Province. Finally, the lost brocade technique took root again in Palen Village.

In Bai Xingxiu's home, there is a room dedicated to displaying brocade products. Bai Xingxiu held up one of the brocades for display, which was colorful and exquisite in detail. Sometimes, she also makes handkerchiefs and other daily necessities

"Rural revitalization cannot be separated from art." Chen Yixiao said that rural culture can be activated through the injection of art, which also brings opportunities for the development of villages.

After the Palin Art Village became famous, 1/3 of the young people in the village returned. Yang Xiugai, a Dai girl, is one of them. Yang Xiugai opened the "A-gai Snack Stall", where fresh fruits, soft rice, sprinkling and other special food in the village are displayed, which is very popular.

Walking into poetic alleys and artistic alleys, you can feel poetic nostalgia; Walking into the brocade home and the bamboo weaving home, you can experience the local characteristic culture personally... Today's Palin Village has changed its past appearance and turned to "poetic Palin".

Yang Zhengbin, villager of Palin Village——

I hold a painting exhibition in the village

My name is Yang Zhengbin. I am 49 years old. I am a physical education teacher at Wuhe Ethnic Middle School in Tengchong, Yunnan Province.

A few years ago, a group of artists came to our Palin Village. The villagers said that they came here to transform Parian Village through art.

Art galleries transformed from idle old houses, creative paintings on village walls, various amazing art installations... After the transformation of artists, the village has changed in just a few months. The whole Parian Village is permeated with a strong artistic atmosphere. Now, more people come to the village, and the villagers have become "beautiful". New plants are also placed at the door of villagers' houses from time to time. Based on these artistic features, the village has opened a rural entertainment, and everyone's pockets have swelled.

Art has changed the countryside, and it has also changed me. Artists often create wall paintings in the village. When I have time, I stand beside them to see their paintings. After a long time, I had the idea to try painting. The artists also encouraged me and taught me how to compose pictures. Unexpectedly, I couldn't stop this painting. The walls, bottles, pebbles and green tiles on the eaves of my own homestay are my "canvas". The pictures in my mind of the village's aunts and girls, and the pastoral scenery of Palin Village, have gradually become paintings, and I am also full of a sense of achievement.

Picking up the brush for more than three months, I created more than 20 works. The artist encouraged me to prepare an exhibition for me when I finished 30 paintings. After the completion of "Your Art Museum", I held my first art exhibition in the village as I wished. Mountains in the moonlight, villagers working, self portraits... Every painting is my treasure.

Now when it comes to break time, I think about painting, and my hands itch without touching the brush for two or three days. My love and persistence in painting has also driven many villagers. Now, many of the creative tiles on our walls are painted by villagers themselves.

In the future, I will create more and better paintings and draw more beautiful Palin Village.

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