Development of the local economy should be based on the strength of the villages. You can innovate ways to make what used to be low-skilled activities, agriculture, for example, become more advanced. You must rely on what you have in this place, and make the most out of that.

Giulio Verdini, senior lecturer in planning at the University of Westminster

It's very timely to think about the future of traditional villages, not only in China, but in general. International conventions have been focused on cities lately, but villages are also very important. We need to keep the villages alive. To better protect the small villages, the most important thing to do is to protect the natural elements.

Cristina Iamandi, cultural heritage consultant at UNESCO

Almost all the experts and government are heading in the same direction to improve the development and the conservation of these places. The environment, ecology and the landscape are important things to be focused on.

Anna-Paola Pola, research fellow at World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO

Cultures are very powerful. History shows they last for a long time no matter what happens to the country. In some places, the children leave the province to go to big cities, but it's important they keep culture going in the local place.

Sir Paul Judge, alderman of the City of London, key benefactor of the University of Cambridge Judge Business School

I still have the feeling that most of the work that has been done is about the architecture, while the preservation of the landscape has not been sufficient. The fields and surrounding bodies are key parts of the life and living things of the village.

Simone Ricca, consultant of UNESCO and co-founder of RC Heritage Consultants

We begin to understand the role of tourism to drive not only environmental initiatives but also to have profound social effects. The wealth created by the micro-finance process will continue to ripple outwards, affecting the surrounding communities.

Lawrence Clive Bloom, director of the Davos World Economic Forum and the previous chairman of United Nations Environment Program

(China Daily 10/19/2016 page22)