In a world where kids need an iPad to eat lunch and parents are happy do that so that they can have some peace and quiet China is changing the game. Books are the one thing that the Chinese will treasure and will never become a thing of the past irrelevant. There has been a movement to tie books up with nature and its going very well.
With its lush paddy fields stretching against a backdrop of Chinese traditional countryside houses, Linjia is one of the villages near the famous Zhujiajiao Ancient Town in Shanghai’s Qingpu District. It hosts “Shanghai’s most beautiful countryside library,” and also studios of local artists.
Although Linjia is not as famous as some surrounding villages, it is the perfect place to escape the rush of city Shanghai and enjoy picturesque scenery while immersing oneself into the country life of local artists. Morning fogs, clear rivers, fertile soil – a lovely place to live.
And apparently for art too. The idea of turning the village into a tourist destination by adding artistic charm came from the opening of a countryside library “Bohexiang.” Bohexiang means “the scent of mint.” The name was chosen by the founder Chen Junfang and her husband Zhang Ruijie, an expert in traditional Chinese medicine.
Chen opened the countryside library at her family home in Linjia Village in 2016 after she closed her bookstore in downtown area of Qingpu. At that time, she did not expect it would become so popular and the chain effect it would bring to the village.
At first, the library only served as a public reading space for villagers. But the beautiful scenery suddenly made this countryside library get attractions on the social media. Since 2018, the library has been chosen as a branch of the Shanghai Book Fair every year.
During the Shanghai Book Fair, it held a number of activities, attracting hundreds of visitors: for events such as a lecture on the protection of ancient watertowns in southern China in 2019, a painting and calligraphy exhibition and a reading and communication activity in 2020. The paddy field is also a natural tourist attraction and playground.
In cooperation with the consulate general of France in Shanghai, Linjia Village has held a “Paddy Field Music Festival” since 2019, drawing hundreds of visitors. The music over the paddy field is the prelude of autumn every year.
Now, Bohexiang is one of the most appealing rural libraries, with a total of more than 10,000 books and gorgeous paintings and calligraphies. Most of the paintings were made by Chen’s mother, a local farmer who created these marvelous art pieces even without professional training
In the library, there is a wide collection of books about Chinese culture, history and medicine and even an English book section for language learners and foreigners. For visitors, there are different events, such as a reading club and calligraphy classes. Zhang is planning a TCM workshop. He wants to work with hospitals and develop his own herb plantation, where he can popularize the knowledge and culture of TCM through lectures and interactive experiences.
