The hollowing-out of rural areas is becoming increasingly prominent, and the reasons deserve deep reflection

The State Council Information Office recently held a press conference, where Ni Hong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and Zhao Hui, director of the Village and Town Department, presented information on the traditional dwelling survey and traditional village protection. Zhao Hui stated that the phenomenon of traditional villages disappearing does exist, but since protection efforts were launched, awareness has generally increased across all localities, and the disappearance phenomenon has been brought under control.

Regarding how many traditional villages have disappeared, Zhao Hui stated that the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development began a comprehensive survey of traditional villages in 2012, and the phenomenon of traditional villages disappearing does exist. Some villages disappeared due to unavoidable demolition brought about by the expansion of urban construction areas and infrastructure development, while others may have disappeared due to natural disasters, especially fires and the like. In particular, some traditional buildings in the southwestern regions are basically wooden structures, and fire escape passages and the like are very inadequate, posing extreme fire hazards, and a very small number disappeared due to fire.

Zhao Hui stated that after the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development launched protection efforts, it played a fundamental role in reversing further disappearance. Awareness has generally increased across all localities, and protection has been intensified. At the same time, relocation and demolition are not permitted, and disaster prevention measures have also kept pace, so the phenomenon of traditional villages disappearing has been brought under control.

Regarding "rural residents all going to cities to work, and the phenomenon of hollowing out appearing in rural areas," Zhao Hui stated that this is a fairly common phenomenon in traditional villages. Many traditional villages are distributed in China's impoverished areas and mountain villages, especially in the mountain villages of the central and western regions. In order to become better off, many young people have left, which is also a common pattern of rural development in various countries. In the process of urbanisation, villages will differentiate. In villages with relatively developed transportation and better locational advantages, different functions may come in, and then the villages develop in a mixed manner with these functions, thus being in a state of development. Another portion, where agriculture is relatively developed, maintains a balanced state. In more remote places, although governments of various countries make great efforts to support such development, the phenomenon of gradual population loss is unavoidable.

Zhao Hui stated that how to understand and how to handle this phenomenon is very clear: we cannot say that because it is hollowed out it has no value, and then demolish it or move it out. In a broad sense, this understanding and approach are wrong, and quite a few places have raised these issues. In reality, even in hollowed-out villages there are still people living there; these may be elderly people, but these elderly people rely on the limited production resources around the village, a small plot of land or a small patch of woodland, to sustain their lives through their own labour. At the same time, these elderly people do not have the skills to go to cities to work and find employment. If some people have left and some remain surviving in the village, and we move them out based on our own wishes, they will lose the ability to create value. After moving out, for the government, for the individuals, and for society, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.

Zhao Hui stated that from the experience of various countries, the approach generally adopted is to continuously strengthen support for this group. This is not only an economic issue and an issue of cultural inheritance, but also an issue of regional social inheritance. The roots cannot be severed. This should be the concept and practice that the government ought to have.