DISTINCT APPEARANCE: Ancient residential dwellings in Hongcun Village have been repaired and restored in strict conformance to their original look (CHEN XIAOWEI)

Fans of Ang Lee's film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon may recognize the simple but elegant antique houses found in Hongcun Village in Yixian County, east China's Anhui Province, where scenes from the hit movie were filmed.

Houses in the village, many of which feature exquisite ancient craftsmanship, line an irrigation canal constructed about 800 years ago.

The buffalo-shaped village now has 1,280 residents in 432 households. Among those still standing in the village are 158 residential houses dating back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, and nearly 140 of them are in good condition.

Hongcun is an exceptional model for the preservation of ancient dwellings in China. In 2000, it was inscribed into UNESCO's list of World Cultural Heritage Sites.

As China modernizes, ancient rural settlements in the country are disappearing at an alarming rate. According to the China Society for the Study of Folk Literature and Art, fewer than 3,000 of the country's 2.3 million villages have retained their original layout, classic architecture, customs and other non-tangible cultural heritage sites.

Yearning for modern amenities, younger generations of villagers tend to either abandon antique houses, leaving them to further decay, or renovate old houses, often dramatically altering their original layout and style. In many villages, stylish modern structures juxtapose with traditional ones, producing a jarring incongruity.

"During the rural development process, many villages have lost their original appearances that reflect distinct local culture and lifestyle," said Yun Wenju, an official with the Ministry of Land and Resources. "As a result, they have come to look more or less the same."

Along with the decay and transformation of ancient houses, many villages have been wiped out entirely. The number of natural villages in China dropped from 3.6 million in 2000 to 2.7 million in 2010, according to Feng Jicai, a famous writer.

Speaking on June 5 at a seminar on protecting cultural heritage in Chinese villages, Feng said, "When a natural village vanishes, a trove of valuable historical information is lost. So protecting ancient villages is a pressing issue."

Since 2003, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage have listed 181 towns and 169 villages as famous rural habitats of historical and cultural significance.

Some ancient villages have contracted private companies to develop tourism and protect heritage. So far, the results are varied.

Hongcun model

Hongcun is one of the 169 designated famous rural habitats. The village follows a so-called "government-steered, company operated and villager participated" heritage preservation model.

Much of Hongcun's preservation work has been carried out by Zhongkun Group, a private real estate company headquartered in Beijing.

In 1997, Zhongkun Group contracted with Yixian to develop tourist resources in three local villages including Hongcun. The contract period is 30 years.

Prior to 1997, Hongcun suffered from woes familiar to many ancient villages: dilapidated houses, damaged roads, poor waste removal services, and out-of-place unauthorized structures.

Village leaders launched a company in June 1996 to develop tourism. But due to fund shortage and a lack of management expertise, the company earned just 10 yuan ($1.57) for each villager in its first year.

After Zhongkun Group was brought in, things began to change. The group decided to repair heritage properties in the village first and develop tourism later. Huang Nubo, the group's Chairman, invited renowned architects from Tsinghua University and Tongji University to visit the area and produce a development plan. For the ensuing plan, Zhongkun Group paid a cost nearly double the village's total annual income at that time.

In 1999, the development plan was approved by supervising government departments including the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

Zhongkun Group then invested millions of dollars to protect traditional buildings and improve infrastructure in the village.

The group repaired and restored key traditional structures under protection in strict conformance to their original look, and renovated other buildings to modernize their interior while preserving their exterior design.

In the meantime, the group also upgraded roads, dredged rivers and planted trees.

In addition to Zhongkun Group's efforts, the local government also encouraged villagers to start businesses specializing in traditional craftsmanship such as wood, brick and stone carving, selling local special products such as tea and snacks, and showcasing traditional customs.

"Protecting the ancient village requires more than just renovating houses; it must also include restoring culture and lifestyle," Feng said.

In 2000, Hongcun, together with nearby Xidi Village, was successfully inscribed into the list of World Cultural Heritage Sites. A cultural heritage preservation and management committee was set up in Hongcun. Yixian County also enacted detailed guidelines for protecting world cultural heritage sites.