A symposium on ancient Chinese villages opens in Songyang county on May 28. [Photo/WeChat account: zgsynews]

The Conference for the Revival of Chinese Villages Songyang Summit was held in Songyang county, administered by Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province, on May 28-30.

The heads of various departments from more than 10 provinces and cities – as well as experts and academics in architectural design, tourism planning and other areas – attended the conference to explore and discuss Songyang's path to rural revitalization.

The Conference for the Revival of Chinese Villages was first launched in 2016. The latest Songyang event is the 12th time it has been held .

In recent years, while pursuing its rural revitalization, Songyang has especially focused on promoting the protection and development of ancient villages. In this way, it has gradually re-energized the countryside, led by its traditional culture.

"As early as 2013, I came to Songyang for research and I was very surprised that there were so many well-preserved ancient villages," said Luo Deyin, associate professor of architectural history at the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University.

"The ancient villages are valuable cultural resources for both the county and the country," Luo said.

In addition to the number of surviving ancient villages, what surprised him more was that the county government of Songyang attached so much importance to the cultural value of ancient villages, Luo added.

During the event, more than 300 participants went to the most representative and typical villages and rural construction projects in Songyang.

Through on-the-spot visits and in-depth discussions, they gained a deeper understanding of the county's experience and achievements in protecting ancient villages in recent years.