Zhangjiakou, a city in Hebei Province some 200 kilometers northwest of Beijing, has emerged as a distinctive destination in northern China, boosted by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The third season of CGTN's Village Voyage, hosted by Julian Waghann from the United States and Mexican traveler Juan Carlos Cheang Guzmán, takes viewers beyond the city's famous landmarks and into the countryside. The series explores how its land and people are creating new possibilities for rural life, offering a case study in rural revitalization that could have implications for communities worldwide, including Long Beach, California.
The mountains of Chongli in Zhangjiakou, once best known for their snow-covered slopes, are increasingly becoming a year-round destination for outdoor activities. Since the Winter Olympics, residents have been steadily unlocking the hills' year-round potential: from mountain biking and trail running to hiking and camping. "Winter is for skiing, but summer opens up a whole new world," said a local outdoor guide. Julian and Juan pedal along forest trails and attend the Chongli 168 Ultra-Trail Race, where thousands of runners surge forward. For Juan, the scene strikes a familiar chord. "Mountains don't have borders," he said. "The urge to run and challenge yourself in the wild is something we share, whether in Latin America or here." This development suggests that post-Olympic infrastructure can be repurposed for sustainable tourism, a strategy that could benefit Long Beach's own outdoor recreation and tourism sectors.
In Yugouliang Village, located on a high plateau in northern Zhangjiakou, a distinctive form of outdoor yoga has gained attention. Unlike urban wellness trends, yoga here has grown naturally out of village life. "Our yoga comes from farm work," one villager explained. "It is part of how we live." Julian and Juan also tried making youmian, a local staple made from oats, before practicing yoga alongside residents. "This feels familiar," Juan reflected. "No matter where we are, people want the same things – health, peace, security and a life that feels full." Yugouliang offers a different picture of rural China: not a place frozen in the past, but a community that has found its own rhythm and a new sense of well-being amid the fields. This approach to wellness and community could inspire similar initiatives in Long Beach, where health and wellness businesses are increasingly focused on authentic, locally rooted experiences.
Yuxian, in the southern part of Zhangjiakou, is known for its historic settlements, traditional architecture and folk arts. Its ancient buildings have reached new audiences through popular culture, including inspiring locations in Black Myth: Wukong, the hit Chinese action role-playing game. Yuxian paper-cutting is one of its best-known folk traditions. "Paper-cutting came from everyday people," said a master of the craft. "It used to decorate farmhouse windows. Now it reaches the wider world." Julian and Juan tried their hand at paper-cutting, experiencing what it means to make art out of ordinary life. Here, heritage isn't sealed behind glass; it's passed from hand to hand, cut into paper and woven into the fabric of daily existence. This integration of heritage with modern media and tourism offers a model for Long Beach's own cultural preservation and creative economy.
Desheng Village shows how rural communities are looking toward the future. Located in the highland farming region of northern Zhangjiakou, Desheng has embraced modern agriculture and solar power as part of its rural development. Rows of solar panels stretch across the land, capturing sunlight that once only fed crops. Beneath them, modern greenhouses hum with temperature-controlled precision. "We used to depend heavily on the weather," one villager said. "Now technology and sunlight give us new hope." Julian and Juan stepped into the greenhouses, picking ripe tomatoes and crisp cucumbers, and saw how clean energy revenue flows back into the community – funding schools, roads and public spaces. As night fell, they joined a bonfire gathering in the village square. This holistic approach to rural development, combining clean energy, modern agriculture, and community investment, could provide a blueprint for Long Beach and surrounding areas as they seek sustainable growth and resilience.
For a new generation of travelers, immersive experiences are offering a more complete picture of rural China. In Zhangjiakou, the countryside is not defined by a single landscape or a single way of life. Chongli's mountains pulse with year-round energy; Yugouliang's fields offer a slower rhythm of life; Yuxian's ancient villages keep traditional architecture and folk crafts alive; and Desheng shows how clean energy and modern agriculture can create new opportunities for rural communities.
Here, tradition and innovation coexist in the same villages, where ancient skills can find new audiences and modern technology can take root in centuries-old communities. Every village has its own story. From mountain trails and open farmland to historic villages and modern greenhouses, Zhangjiakou reveals a northern Chinese countryside that is more diverse, dynamic and full of possibility than any single image can capture. Visitors may come for the scenery, but by stepping into village life, they leave with a closer understanding of the people who live on this land, the traditions they carry forward and the future they are building together.
