Berkley Center

I chuckled softly, while clutching the potato in my hand. This was by far the largest one yet. My host father watched me toss it gently into the air before throwing it into the sack. “Our village is very backwards,” he said to me in his heavily accented Mandarin. “The farms in the US use machines, but we still rely on manual labor.” Yet, each family in Darengou Village still manages to produce 300,000 potatoes annually.

During dinner that night, my host father again commented on how developed the United States is. He passed me my bowl of potatoes. I graciously accepted, but pointed out that though the United States has machines and technology, we don’t have what they have in the village: the culture of strong family ties, the simple and honest trust between neighbors, and the type of warmth and hospitality that not even five-star hotels can provide. I promised him, “What you have here is worth more than what we have.”

When I left the village the next day, my host father came to bid me goodbye. “I can’t go to the U.S., but you are always welcomed to come back.” In a softer voice, he added, “I already think of you as a daughter.” How can I not let these people keep a piece of my heart?

Darengou Village, at its peak, was home to over 300 inhabitants. Today, only approximately 80 villagers remain. This phenomenon occurs not only in Darengou Village, but also in villages across China on a much larger scale. As villagers migrate to cities, villages gradually shrink and ultimately disappear. In 1980, shortly after China’s open up and reform, 80 percent of the population lived in villages. According to 2012 statistics, only 48.73 percent of the Chinese population lives in villages. For a country whose history revolves around villages and its inhabitants, this is a dramatic shift. It’s not just about physically losing the village and the farmlands. It is also about losing traditional village culture and all the associated values. Yet, for many, moving forward towards modernity trumps preserving the past.

This begs the question of what modernity and development means for the Chinese. To the people, it means partaking in consumerism. To the government, it means increasing statistics and swapping out the old with the new. This inevitably leads to what is known as the cult of GDP. China’s “worship of the almighty GDP” refers to its obsession with GDP growth as an indicator of economic prosperity. In the process of developing and maintaining steady economic growth, China often neglects the quality of products and services produced, and it also disregards the impact of its industries on the environment. Additionally, as much as economic development makes attempts to not leave folks behind, those who are forced to keep up with the modernization of China have a difficult time adjusting.

In Darengou Village, the government is constructing new and “modern” houses for the villagers. My host father was rather indifferent about the potential move. Yet, I am almost positive that his indifference comes from the fact that even though he was reluctant to leave the house he had built with his own hands, there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. The government always has the last word.

Our original plan was to stay in a neighboring village, Zengjiacha Village. Except that shortly before we departed for our trip, we received news that heavy rains had damaged the mud homes. Though damaged, most of the homes were reparable. Yet, why spend the money to repair traditional mud homes when you can build new houses? Villagers have no choice but give up their childhood homes and stay in relief tents until their “modern” houses are built. The funds for the project trickle down from the central government to the provincial, county, and then finally the village government. Each level takes a cut of the check. It’s no wonder the entire village was bulldozed to make room for modernity. And of course, the government has the last word.

As modernization and economic development descend upon China’s traditional villages, what exactly does the future hold for village culture? Can these villagers welcome the idea of prosperity while preserving their values and customs? Some villages have turned to tourism as a means of economic survival and culture preservation. Yet, how commercial tourism will impact their daily lives and their values, only time will tell.