Fujian’s "Five Beauties" Initiative Weaves a Beautiful Picture of Rural Revitalization

Wandering through rural areas in Fujian Province, one can easily spot the delicate beauty of beautiful rural courtyards, the exquisite charm of micro-landscapes, the shared warmth of public spaces, the idyllic scenery of fertile fields, and the integrated appeal of rural leisure tourism spots. A vibrant rural scene where each place boasts its own beauty and all beauties coexist unfolds before the eyes.

Since 2022, taking inspiration from the "Ten-Thousand-Village Project" experience, Fujian has adhered to the concepts of original ecology, low cost, micro-renovation and refined improvement, integrating local people’s pursuit of beauty and longing for a better life into every detail of rural construction. The province has innovatively launched the "Five Beauties" construction—beautiful rural courtyards, micro-landscapes, public spaces, idyllic fields and leisure tourism spots—painting a new picture of rural revitalization.

According to People’s Daily Online, Fujian, known for its "eight parts mountains, one part water and one part farmland", has insisted on high-level promotion of the "Five Beauties" initiative since its launch, taking it as a key measure to advance rural revitalization and improve the rural living environment. The province has compiled the Guidelines for the Construction of "Five Beauties" in Harmonious and Beautiful Villages in Fujian, clarifying principles, methods, participant mechanisms and red lines to guide standardized construction.

The practice of the "Five Beauties" construction focuses on "small" efforts to drive overall changes. It starts with small, perceptible matters such as courtyard beautification and village environment improvement, and adheres to low investment without large-scale demolition and construction. "We start with the most urgent needs of the masses, advancing in batches to achieve great results with small investment," an official from Fujian Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs explained.

The key to its success lies in mobilizing villagers’ enthusiasm. In Jifeng Village, Gongchuan Town, Yong’an City, Sanming, the village used a point-based incentive system to encourage villagers to take the initiative in environmental improvement. "Now everyone takes the initiative to clean their courtyards and run their own businesses, and our sense of happiness has increased greatly," said villager Liu Shupin. Once a remote village, Jifeng has now become a popular check-in spot receiving 200,000 tourists annually.

In Guokeng Village, Yongning Town, Shishi City, the village has awakened villagers’ internal motivation through positive incentives. "The town gave me a 3,000-yuan reward, which makes me more motivated to decorate my home," said villager Li Xiuzhuan, whose courtyard is filled with blooming bougainvillea, Chinese roses and firecracker flowers. Guo Zuxin, Party secretary of Guokeng Village, admitted that inspiring villagers’ initiative is the key to the success of courtyard beautification.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the "Five Beauties" initiative has delivered remarkable results: the popularization rate of harmless rural sanitary toilets in Fujian has reached 99.35%, the coverage rate of rural domestic waste collection and transportation systems is 100%, and the treatment (control) rate of rural domestic sewage is 78.2%, all ranking among the top in China. Since 2022, 187,300 provincial-level beautiful courtyards, 58,400 rural micro-landscapes, 11,810 public spaces, 3,810 idyllic fields and 1,133 leisure tourism spots have been built, turning every corner of Fujian’s countryside into a scenic spot.