Zhangjiakou, a city in Hebei Province some 200 kilometers northwest of Beijing, has emerged as a distinctive destination in northern China, boosted by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In the third season of CGTN's Village Voyage, host Julian Waghann from the United States and Mexican traveler Juan Carlos Cheang Guzmán journey across the region to explore how its land and people are creating new possibilities for rural life. The season takes viewers beyond famous landmarks and into the countryside, where international travelers get their hands in the soil, learn traditional crafts, and share everyday meals with local residents, discovering a different side of rural China and the people helping shape its future.
The mountains of Chongli, once best known for their snow-covered slopes, are increasingly becoming a year-round destination for outdoor activities. Since the Winter Olympics, residents have been unlocking the hills' year-round potential, from mountain biking and trail running to hiking and camping. Julian and Juan pedal along forest trails and stand at the starting line of the Chongli 168 Ultra-Trail Race as thousands of runners surge forward. For Juan, the scene strikes a familiar chord. "Mountains don't have borders," he said. "The urge to run and challenge yourself in the wild is something we share, whether in Latin America or here."
In Yugouliang Village, situated on a high plateau in northern Zhangjiakou, a distinctive form of outdoor yoga has grown naturally out of village life. "Our yoga comes from farm work," one villager explained. "It is part of how we live." Julian and Juan first experienced another part of village life by making youmian, a local staple made from oats. They kneaded the dough and shaped it by hand, then headed into the fields to practice yoga alongside local residents. "This feels familiar," Juan reflected. "No matter where we are, people want the same things – health, peace, security and a life that feels full." Yugouliang offers a different picture of rural China: not a place frozen in the past, but a community that has found its own rhythm and a new sense of well-being amid the fields.
Located in the southern part of Zhangjiakou, Yuxian is known for its historic settlements, traditional architecture, and folk arts. Its ancient buildings have also reached new audiences through popular culture; some of its architecture has inspired locations in Black Myth: Wukong, the hit Chinese action role-playing game. Yuxian paper-cutting is one of its best-known folk traditions. "Paper-cutting came from everyday people," said a master of the craft. "It used to decorate farmhouse windows. Now it reaches the wider world." Julian and Juan tried their hand at paper-cutting, fumbling with scissors to produce something far from perfect, but they feel, briefly, what it means to make art out of ordinary life. Here, heritage isn't sealed behind glass; it's passed from hand to hand, cut into paper and woven into the fabric of daily existence.
If Yuxian's ancient villages preserve the memories of the past, Desheng Village shows how rural communities are looking toward the future. Located in the highland farming region of northern Zhangjiakou, Desheng has embraced modern agriculture and solar power as part of its rural development. Rows of solar panels stretch across the land, capturing sunlight that once only fed crops. Beneath them, modern greenhouses hum with temperature-controlled precision. "We used to depend heavily on the weather," one villager said. "Now technology and sunlight give us new hope." Julian and Juan stepped into the greenhouses, picking ripe tomatoes and crisp cucumbers, tasting the sweetness of a harvest that no longer depends on luck. They saw how clean energy revenue flows back into the community – funding schools, roads, and public spaces. As night fell, they joined a bonfire gathering in the village square, where music, laughter, and conversation filled the evening air, revealing a village changing with the times while maintaining its close-knit community spirit.
For a new generation of travelers, immersive experiences are offering a more complete picture of rural China. In Zhangjiakou, the countryside is not defined by a single landscape or way of life. Chongli's mountains pulse with year-round energy; Yugouliang's fields offer a slower rhythm; Yuxian's ancient villages keep traditional architecture and folk crafts alive; and Desheng shows how clean energy and modern agriculture can create new opportunities. Here, tradition and innovation coexist, where ancient skills find new audiences and modern technology takes root in centuries-old communities. Visitors may come for the scenery, but by stepping into village life, they leave with a closer understanding of the people who live on this land, the traditions they carry forward, and the future they are building together. For more information, visit CGTN.
