On February 18, the “Foreign Diplomats Experiencing Beijing: Changping District Special Event” was co-hosted by the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office and the Changping District Government. Over 30 foreign diplomats from countries including the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Panama, Nepal, Ethiopia, Germany, and New Zealand visited Xinzhuang Village in Changping District. There, they witnessed the latest progress in Beijing’s rural development and experienced the vitality of rural revitalization.

Xinzhuang Village is one of the model villages featured in the on-site meeting of Beijing’s renewed 100+1,000 Village Program and serves as an exemplary case of comprehensive rural revitalization in suburban Beijing. Through integrated planning, Xinzhuang Village has developed a rural industry complex that combines picking, tourism, dining, and homestays, injecting new vitality into rural revitalization. During the event, leaders from Changping District elaborated on innovative measures and achievements in promoting the integrated development of agriculture, commerce, culture, and tourism. They also invited diplomats to try the village’s unique offerings across these sectors.

“Where to go for springtime picking? Changping’s strawberries are the treasure you are seeking!” By utilizing advanced green cultivation techniques such as intercropping, bee pollination, and enzymatic irrigation, Changping strawberries have become a model of Beijing’s modern urban agriculture. The diplomats visited the flexible solar greenhouses in Xinzhuang Village Strawberry Industrial Park, where they picked and tasted strawberries. They also engaged in deep conversations with local farmers and praised the high-quality agricultural products.

The Makers’ Street in Xinzhuang Village, once an ordinary village lane, has been transformed into a thriving hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. As the foreign diplomats strolled down the street, they stopped at multiple signature sites on the way: the Rainbow Angel Cafe basking in the sunlight and an authentic European-style bakery, which complemented each other beautifully; a charming Handmade Gift Studio and the scholarly Xinzhuang Community diagonally across from it; and the Meide Yanyuan Studio for Rehabilitation, a place spreading love and care, tucked away on the other side of the street. In Xinzhuang, the rustic charm of the countryside blends seamlessly with its vibrant international style.

Miguel Humberto Lecaro Barcenas, Ambassador of Panama to China, praised the event as an impressive and rewarding experience. He noted that the integrated development of agriculture, commerce, culture, and tourism in Xinzhuang Village was truly unique. He was especially fond of the dragon-shaped wooden carving he had just purchased from the Handmade Gift Studio, mentioning with delight that he was born in the Year of the Dragon.

Sashko Nasev, Ambassador of North Macedonia to China, remarked that Xinzhuang Village is fairly beautiful, and its leisurely atmosphere reminded him of his distant homeland. It was evident, he said, that the villagers thoroughly enjoyed their lives.

This event not only showcased the achievements of Beijing’s rural development in the new era but also provided the foreign diplomats with an unforgettable experience of Beijing’s countryside. Going forward, the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office will continue its flagship “Foreign Diplomats Experiencing Beijing” series of events, promoting the city’s high-quality development achievements comprehensively and fostering practical cooperation in relevant fields.

Further Reading:

Xinzhuang Village, located in the eastern part of Xingshou Town, Changping District, has developed leisure agricultural tourism as part of its rural revitalization efforts. Through comprehensive planning, the village has created a thriving rural industry complex that integrates tourism, dining, homestays, and picking. By attracting innovation resources, the village has nurtured its unique Makers’ Street, featuring diverse establishments such as the Rainbow Angel Coffee, Handmade Gift Studio, Meide Yanyuan Studio for Rehabilitation, Cloud Kitchen, and Xinzhuang Community. These efforts aim to realize the vision of building Xinzhuang into a village of the future, featuring harmony with the nature and a booming strawberry industry.