First Impressions of Chujia Village

Chujia is an ancient village with over a hundred years of history located in Yidao Town, Laizhou, Shandong Province. Surrounded by mountains, it was once isolated from the outside world. After several years of continuous development, this small village has transformed from a dilapidated settlement into one of the models of Shandong’s beautiful countryside construction.

Every penny spent on rural renovation comes from local government finances and the hard-earned money of the residents. This is not a testing ground for design teams. Designers must approach with humility: everything that exists has its reason, and everything that doesn’t also has its logic. Planning should come first and remain consistent throughout.

Upon closer inspection, however, there are some questionable design decisions.

An infinity pool was built atop a mountain, but due to water shortages, it was abandoned—left as an unfinished project.

To improve overall quality, new buildings can be added, but they must reflect local characteristics. It’s unwise to forcibly transplant ideas just because they look good elsewhere.

For example, the siheyuan courtyard is clearly not part of the local architectural heritage.

Two-story buildings are even further from local tradition.

And the covered bridge? It reflects styles from the Yangtze River region, not here.

Don’t artificially create a sense of decay. That newly built city gate is made to look old—how can that represent the joy and vibrancy of a rejuvenated countryside?