The Happy Urban Villages of Ningguo: Preserving Rural Scenery While Enjoying City Amenities

Compared to urban villages in major Chinese cities, those in smaller cities might be happier, and also carry a touch of luck. This time, let's take a look at the current state of urban villages in Ningguo City, located in southeastern Anhui at the border of Anhui and Zhejiang provinces.

Yangjiaqiao Village and Qianmu Village on Nanshan Street are separated by an old Anhui-Jiangxi Railway line. Entering from Gongye West Road in the southern urban area of Ningguo, you arrive at this urban village. It is called an urban village because geographically it belongs to the urban area, while its household registration and land use rights are classified as rural, hence the name.

Within less than 300 meters from the junction of city and countryside, you can see rural houses and urban residential buildings in the same frame. The contrast between high-rise buildings and rural homes is the best illustration of what an urban village is.

Why is it said that Ningguo's urban villages are happy? And why do they carry a touch of luck? Because these urban villages benefit from the national preferential policies for rural areas, while the villagers live in the city and enjoy urban amenities such as city roads, public transportation, medical resources, and educational resources. Yet they can also live in a pristine rural setting. Isn't this enough to prove that Ningguo's urban villages are happy?

As for the element of luck, it stems from the historical legacy of the old Anhui-Jiangxi Railway. This has kept these areas, which should have been incorporated into the urban area, with rural household registration. Although they are part of the city, they still enjoy rural welfare. Without the railway issue, these urban villages would not have this dual welfare. Hence, Ningguo's urban villages carry a touch of luck.

Each household exudes a rustic flavor, such as these pecan trees bearing fruit. Pecans are a specialty of Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, known as the giant panda of nuts. They have very high requirements for soil, climate, and natural environment. Judging by the lush pecan fruits, one can imagine the environment of this urban village. Living in the city while enjoying such a rural setting—isn't that happiness? Isn't it enviable?

The vibrant chestnuts instantly lift one's spirits. I originally thought one could only see chestnut trees in remote rural areas, but here in this Ningguo urban village, chestnut trees are everywhere and thriving. Do I even need to use technical terms to describe the air and environment quality?

Generally, urban residents cannot freely raise chickens, ducks, or dogs like in the countryside, and trash and waste must be sorted. But in the countryside, everything is free and easy. Ningguo's urban villages are rural in nature, so they are no different from ordinary villages—people can live freely, and importantly, they can enjoy urban amenities just like city dwellers. How fortunate that is!

Living in such a village that feels like a primeval forest—how many people must envy this? Environmental quality, air quality, and pollution-free agricultural products are already scarce in today's society. Besides these rare resources, urban villages also enjoy urban welfare. Living in an urban village with both city benefits and rural welfare is truly happy and lucky!

Although the urban village is located in the city, it still has a rural nature. Therefore, villagers can grow a variety of vegetables, rice, fruits, and other pollution-free foods, as well as precious medicinal herbs. Ningguo City, situated at the northern foot of the Tianmu Mountains, south of Lake Tai, and south of the Yangtze River, has a pleasant climate with four distinct seasons and diverse flora and fauna, earning it the reputation of a kingdom of plants and animals. Urban villages in Ningguo can grow rare medicinal herbs just like ordinary rural areas. For instance, the herbs seen here are used to stop bleeding, relieve pain, and expel wind-cold.

In the past, the railway was a nuisance for these villages. With high traffic volume and being a single-track old line, noise pollution severely disrupted villagers' daily lives and posed significant safety hazards. Now, with projects to renovate and relocate the old railway, these urban villages have actually gained a blessing in disguise—they retain rural household registration while enjoying urban amenities. Moreover, in a few years, they can conveniently reach the high-speed rail station and travel throughout China.

Along the more than 20-kilometer urban section of the Anhui-Jiangxi Railway in Ningguo, there are many urban villages. Qianmu Village, Jishan Village, and Jinnan Village under Nanshan Street fall within the national-level Ningguo Economic and Technological Development Zone. With high-quality air, natural food, free living space, urban amenities, and employment opportunities in the development zone, Ningguo's urban villages offer dual benefits of being both city residents and villagers—truly enviable!