For over a century, roads in Dazu Village could only be referred to as "along the lake" or "the inner one," until just two months ago when they received their first official names and street signs. In this village nestled by Lugu Lake in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, a small lakeside cabin quietly opened its doors, now stocked with local specialties: apple crisps packaged under the "Bird's Select" brand and silk scarves adorned with Dongba cultural patterns. The villagers' "Grandmother Houses" have also opened their wooden doors to travelers for the first time. Previously, statistics showed that over 98% of Lugu Lake tourists had passed by this hidden village without stopping. Even at peak tourist times, the village remained quiet. Now, during the lake's off-season, visitors are arriving specifically for it. These changes stem from a 72-hour "rural innovation experiment."
In October this year, 36 young content creators from various professional fields on the Xiaohongshu platform were invited to this tranquil village. They came not as "donors" or "sightseers," but as "listeners" and "co-creators," sitting side-by-side with villagers to understand the real challenges in Dazu's cultural tourism, agriculture, and creative industries, and to offer ideas and solutions. The 36 youths gathered with villagers to exchange ideas and share their creativity.
Dazu Village, the only Naxi ethnic village on the Sichuan side of Lugu Lake near the Yunnan border, is home to 161 households. Turning off the lakeside road, traditional wooden log houses dot the gentle slopes—distinctive Naxi structures built entirely with mortise and tenon joints. The area boasts not only natural lake views and unique Dongba culture but also produces high-quality agricultural products like wild prinsepia oil, wild strawberries, and walnuts. Yet, these genuine assets long remained trapped and unknown. "Short tourist routes and brief visitor stays" meant most people quickly passed by on the ring road, a major hurdle for Dazu's tourism development.
A deeper regret lies in the gradual neglect of Dongba culture. Dongba script carved on beams and centuries-old rituals, lacking a "translation" for modern times, left visitors confused and unimpressed. Wang Muliang understands this dilemma better than anyone. The 43-year-old, who has lived most of his life in Dazu, left school early to work in factories and as a carpenter before returning at 21. He then met Li Nanyang, a Taiwanese businessman residing there, who invited him and other youths to stay and contribute. Rebuilding Dazu Primary School became their first goal. The school had closed due to low enrollment, forcing children to study in town or drop out. Li led efforts to raise funds and gather timber from each household, with Wang participating. A new school was built, bringing children back to class. Later, road access, internet, and tourism development allowed young adults to find local work instead of leaving. Wang now serves as the school's principal. "Today's Dazu is a village where elders, children, and adults live together," he says, seeing this as the source of vitality. He now ponders, "Can we use this energy to achieve something?"
In late October, the opportunity arrived. Thirty-six Xiaohongshu creators from diverse regions and industries brought their "good ideas" to the village. Their mission: within 72 hours, discuss with villagers what Dazu truly needed and contribute expertise. Wang mobilized young villagers as volunteers for this "co-creation." The group split into tourism, agriculture, and cultural innovation teams. Over three days, the agriculture team visited fields and orchards, compiling a "Dazu Agricultural Product Guide" featuring local specialties like edible prinsepia oil, sweet flowering potatoes, and high-sugar apple crisps. To promote these goods, creators suggested infusing youth appeal, leading to playful packaging like "Bird's Select," inspired by the Naxi belief that "apples pecked by birds are sweeter." They also recommended placing products in village homestays, cafes, and restaurants for visibility.
The tourism team explored every village path, finding multiple local names for the same routes. "Without clear names or signs, visitors don't know how to explore," they noted, likely a reason for missed visits. They proposed naming historically significant but vaguely directed paths. The lakeside road, called "he-man" (Lugu Lake) in Naxi, became "Satisfaction Road." The ancient pilgrimage path to Gemu Goddess Mountain, "wo-nu-mai" (village heart), was dubbed "Inner Path." The dirt road to Dazu Primary, originally "ti-nyi-lyfa" (go read), was creatively named "Heavenly Rain and Flowing Fragrance Road." Using leftover wood from boat and carpentry workshops, they made bilingual signposts with Dongba script and Chinese, aiming to teach Naxi phrases through road names. During visits, the team noticed Grandmother Houses. Almost every Naxi household in Dazu has one—a space for elders with high thresholds, a central eternal firepit symbolizing family continuity, and an altar for ancestors. Life events from births to weddings occur here. The 159 houses form a "living history" rarely shown to outsiders. The team selected three representative houses: one over 100 years old, another blending Dongba and Tibetan styles, as museums. They drew floor plans and created curator manuals covering culture, taboos, language tips, and operations. "We never realized our homes, dialect, and daily items could be so valuable to outsiders," a villager shared.
The cultural innovation team transformed Dongba stories into scarf and eye mask designs. One creator incorporated the Dongba character for "home" with prinsepia, cosmos flowers, and Naxi attire colors into accessories, displayed with repackaged goods in the new "Ecology Gate" shop. Ideas like fun genealogy charts, village-themed food games, and farm trails took root, awakening the ancient village.
With changes underway, villagers found novelty in using the new road names, initially out of curiosity, then for directions. The "Ecology Gate" shop, open over two months, hosted small tour groups as Dazu's "first business card." Visitors browse Dongba books, buy local products, and with interest, are invited into Grandmother Houses by village guides. Wang delights in seeing more tourists share "Dazu guides" on Xiaohongshu. Stays shifted from chance to planned trips, with visitors exploring alleys, orchards, cafes, viewpoints, and houses, posting photos that attract more attention. Wang grows busier, juggling school duties, hiring farm marketers, and discussing sustainable museum experiences with villagers. New ideas need rooting and growth—the goal of Xiaohongshu's experiment. To boost village visibility, Xiaohongshu launched the "Meaningful Creation" project in October, promoting "youth to countryside, inspiration to villages." The team identifies rural challenges, matches creators with local needs, and fosters knowledge and resource exchange instead of imposing external models. "Ultimately, it's about everyone taking action," Wang says. This reflects Dazu's namesake: capable people (Da) gathering (Zu) to protect their homeland, letting positive change unfold naturally.
