New B&B area to serve rural park

Fengshou Village northeast of Pujiang Suburban Park on the Huangpu River is creating a resort area with accommodation and dining tuned to the local rural lifestyle.

More than nine of the 50 best bed-and-breakfast brands in China have signed contracts to operate there. The new area will open in August.

Fengshou, located in the Pujin community, is accessed by Metro Line 8 and lies just 20 kilometers from the People’s Square in the center of Shanghai. That makes access easy for day-trippers who want a quick getaway to a more rural environment.

The village will be equipped with hotels, bookstores, a rural-themed restaurant and an art exhibition hall.

Construction involves local materials such as wood and bamboo.

“We wish to provide the experience of country life to urban residents,” said Wang Lijian, manager of the project. “We are preserving the local architecture and culture. Experts from Tongji University and East China Normal University have helped us with the plans.”

Pujin has 10 villages and some of the most extensive farmland remaining in Shanghai.

Sun Peilong, the community’s Party secretary, said the project is a new beginning.

“It’s the first step of bigger plans,” he said. “This is a pilot village.”

As part of the project, a data bank of the condition of houses, surroundings and family situations is being compiled. Residents who have signed 15-year contracts to rent their homes to the project will receive monthly payments of one yuan (16 US cents) for every square meter.

Rent totals have already reached 4 million yuan. Homeowners 60 years or older will receive additional subsidies.