Zhangyan Village at the northwestern quarter of Chonggu Town, Qingpu District is a historic settlement dating back to the North Song Dynasty a thousand years ago, and the relics of Fuquan Mount Culture are in its adjacency. Through introducing creative mechanism of rural revitalization, adhering to the developmental principles of environmentalism and protecting and renewing historical sites, upgrading local farming and supporting new services industries, Zhangyan is gradually realizing its vision of a dynamic historical village which is suitable for living, working and outing. Its 2 km2 jurisdiction is administered by 3 governing grids and 11 villager groups. As the center of the Five-village Collaboration System of Chonggu Town, Zhangyan is a significant hub that connects Shanghai with the integrated development of Yangtze Delta, and a demonstrative site of rural community life circle in Shanghai.

Under the strong leadership and appropriate guidance of Shanghai Urban Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, Qingpu District has been documenting rural planning programs which have basically covered all countryside of the district. The masterplan of Zhangyan Village has fully considered the aim to build its central area to be a 15-miunute Community Life Circle suitable for living, working and outing where all basic services – food, clothes, shelter, transportation, education, culture, sports and healthcare – are accessible to villagers within 15 minutes’ walk. And five villages – Xuyao, Huilong, Zhongxin, Xinfeng and the center of the collaborative system, Zhangyan – are combined into one planning unit where the development of each component is guided according to its available resources, so that all of them can be integrated into the coordinated rural-urban development.

Curatorial Program

Newcomers and original residents of Zhangyan Village constitute the main body of the exhibition: established dwellers, administrators, practitioners of rural revitalization represented by members of China Construction Eighth Engineering Division, new-type business owners, project designers and constructors, and resident research team during the exhibition. The exhibition emphasizes the relationship between people and spaces, offers a story of development that is threaded by various people, promote creative industries with art and echoes the planning approach by activities. A series of activities offering a portfolio of one map, three events, four scenarios and the five-village collaboration system allow us to witness the new images of historical villages, experience an ideal 15-minute Rural Life Circle and contribute to our communities.

The main exhibition site is the core area of Zhangyan Village. A Tour Path starts from the Services Center of Party and Masses’ Affairs and connects various destinations: City God Temple, riverside commercial street, cottages, farm paddings, Talent Development Center of China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Co. Ltd and Zhangyan Cultural Hall, offering a portfolio of exhibitions and activities which lead people into the facilities of the 15-minute Life Circle and an all-around experience of rural life circle scenarios such as amicable neighborhood, headquarters services, innovative manufacturing and future entrepreneurship.