Coffee enthusiasts discover opportunity, sense of community in Zhejiang village

Xie Junwu sold coffee from the back of his van while driving around China with his wife for years. However, his journey came to an end in 2022 when he arrived at Luxiaxu, a small village adjacent to the sea in the city of Zhoushan, Zhejiang province.

The couple fell in love with the ancient village, which had been reinvented on the back of a tourism boom that went viral in recent years. Their affection immediately led to the idea of setting up a local coffee shop — 55 Road Coffee.

"If we were to go back to city life now, we would actually find it quite challenging to adapt to that pace again. We truly enjoy the rural life here. This place is our home," said Xie, who used to live in Changsha, Hunan province.

Part of the coffee shop has been transformed from the original old house's chicken and duck coop. In order to preserve the old characteristics, they retained most of the structure and the roof tiles. Xie's mother is currently the head chef at the coffee shop and restaurant, specializing in Hunan cuisine known for its spicy taste.

"We used to live in Hunan, and now starting a business here allows me and my family to live and work together, something that is hard to achieve elsewhere," Xie said.

Xie is just one of the young entrepreneurs trying their luck in Zhoushan thanks to a favorable local policy to support cultural and dining businesses.

Luxiaxu village is dubbed "an entrepreneurial park without walls", offering policy support such as low rent, renovation subsidies, guaranteed loans with interest subsidies and talent housing guarantees for aspiring entrepreneurs. Currently, it hosts 50 diverse shops, including nearly 10 village cafes, employing over 100 locals.

"Our annual revenue stays stable, reflecting a positive trend in this rural business model. We manage to earn slightly more than in a traditional job, enjoying greater freedom and a stronger sense of community," he said.

Despite the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years, government initiatives such as media exposure and client visits have benefited businesspeople such as Xie.

"The local community and government care about everyone's businesses and organize events such as rural coffee festivals and related markets to attract more visitors," he added.

Apart from government support, a stronger sense of belonging emanates from the warmth of rural life, Xie said.

"We have great relationships with our neighbors. We share leftover food with them to feed their chickens and ducks, and they often bring us fresh vegetables and fruit. They even help us raise chickens.

"The bonds among neighbors are not easily encapsulated in a single phrase, they are the culmination of numerous acts of kindness," he said.

Xie also managed to pay back the kindness of the neighbors with reciprocal benefits — the rice, chicken and vegetables he orders are all sourced from locals.

"The money we earn from using these ingredients goes back to the community, albeit temporarily passing through my hands, ultimately benefiting many villagers," he said.

His business expanded in May with the second 55 Road Coffee opening in nearby Daqing Mountain, fulfilling his dream of owning a shop facing the sea with a mountain behind.

"After observing Daqing Mountain for nearly a year, we found that the sea in that area is blue for over 200 days out of the whole year. We want to share this unique view with more friends, and encourage them to enjoy the sea at Daqing Mountain, apart from rural life in Luxiaxu village.

Last year, Luxiaxu had 1.2 million visits, generating over 252 million yuan ($34.7 million) in revenue. It was selected as one of the first batch of model destinations showcasing the province's efforts to vitalize rural areas, according to Zheng Ping, a local interpreter.

The village's inaugural rural coffee lifestyle festival last year attracted 80,000 attendees, with the event's profit exceeding 1.5 million yuan, Zheng said.

Attracting innovative and creative talent back to rural areas is also a major initiative in the village.

It was reported that the village has attracted over 160 such individuals, half of them non-locals, leading to the creation of nearly 400 jobs and increasing the income of surrounding households by over 10,000 yuan each, Zheng said.

Xia Ziyu, founder of Rabbit Market, a village store that sells high-quality agricultural products with island characteristics, said: "It is very important for many young people to return to their hometowns to start businesses and for youth to empower rural areas. We hope to empower rural areas through art."

heqi@chinadaily.com.cn