Roots at the Village Edge: Chunguang Village（乡里树脚·春光村）
Rural Revitalisation · Field Research & Community EngagementProject Type
Village Revitalisation Programme / Field Research & Public EducationTime & Location
2023
Chunguang Village, Chaozhou, Guangdong, China
Organiser
Escape Art Club (EAC)Role
Project Planner · Field Researcher · Programme Coordinator
Cai Boxuan (Boosen Tsai)
Background
Roots at the Village Edge: Chunguang Village is part of the “Roots at the Village Edge (乡里树脚)” rural revitalisation series, which focuses on re-engaging villages through cultural observation, field research, and community-based action.Rather than treating rural areas as sites awaiting external “intervention,” the project approaches the village as a living cultural system—shaped by everyday practices, local memory, and social relationships. Chunguang Village was selected for its layered rural–urban transition, where traditional lifestyles coexist with gradual socio-economic change.
Description
The project was developed through short-term field residency and on-site observation. Activities included walking-based research, informal interviews with residents, documentation of village space, and small-scale public programmes designed to encourage participation rather than spectacle.
By foregrounding listening and presence, the project avoided predefined outcomes. Cultural activities were structured as open encounters—inviting villagers to share stories, practices, and concerns rooted in daily life. This process allowed cultural value to emerge organically, rather than being imposed through external narratives of “revitalisation.”
The programme framed culture not as heritage frozen in time, but as something continuously produced through living, working, and social interaction. Through modest and adaptable methods, Chunguang Village tested how cultural engagement can support rural self-recognition and intergenerational exchange.
Outcomes
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Conducted field-based cultural research within Chunguang Village
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Engaged local residents through informal dialogue and participatory activities
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Documented everyday village life and spatial characteristics
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Developed a non-intrusive model for rural cultural engagement
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Contributed to the evolving methodology of the Roots at the Village Edge series
Significance
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Shifted rural revitalisation from event-driven action to process-oriented engagement
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Emphasised listening, observation, and trust-building as cultural methods
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Highlighted the importance of everyday life in defining village identity
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Offered a sustainable, low-impact approach to community-based cultural work
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Strengthened Escape Art Club’s long-term rural practice framework
Keywords
Rural Revitalisation · Field Research · Community Engagement · Village Culture · Everyday Life · Public Education · Participatory Practice