In the evening, the water surface of Hongfeng Lake began to change color. From deep blue to light gold, then orange red. In front of the french window, the tourists lift the equipment, and the shutter sound rises one after another.
Xinglong Peninsula, Dachong Village, Hongfenghu Town, Qingzhen City. Photo by Lei Senjun
Yan Jiuyuan, who rushed to a village for a lake view, expressed her satisfaction beyond words.
This is the daily routine of Shili Huguang Aesthetic Cafe in Dachong Village, Hongfenghu Town, Qingzhen City. This French style caf é was originally just an unused space for a barbecue restaurant. The person in charge, Yu Dunxin, has worked on rural construction and designed a caf é. After being recommended by the village, he and several equally young partners transformed a part of the barbecue restaurant into the current aesthetic space.
Ten Mile Lake Light · Aesthetic Cafe Outdoor Scene. Interviewee's photo
We hope this place can become an aesthetic public space for sharing lake and mountain scenery, without mandatory consumption or ordering, "said Yudun Xin. This seemingly disadvantageous approach has actually brought unexpected popularity. The coffee shop complements the neighboring barbecue restaurant with a combination of "coffee+barbecue", allowing tourists to take photos and turn around to enjoy hot grilled meat. They can also come to the coffee shop to sit when they are full. Since its opening in June, it has been able to sell about 800 drinks on weekends.
Sichuan tourist Yan Jiuyuan took photos and checked in at a coffee shop. Photo by Li Jinming
The coffee shop has opened, but the evolution of Dachong Village, which mainly focuses on traditional barbecue and rural tourism, did not happen in a day.
In the past, when tourists came, they stayed overnight or had a meal before leaving. They wanted to find a place to sit at night, but there was none, "said Lin Kezhong, deputy director of the Dachong Village Committee. Now there is a caf é in the village, where young people can drink coffee and take photos all afternoon. If they are not satisfied, they can still stay in a homestay.
In just over a year, Dachong Village has opened 7 "village cafes". Each family has its own soul – Blue House makes blueberry coffee, Liubai Youdu makes music coffee homestay, Yuntuanzi hides in the orchard and makes special notes of wood ginger. They utilize idle farmhouses for renovation, do not occupy new land, and all sewage enters the treatment terminal for purification, finding a "lightweight" way of survival within the ecological red line of the Hongfeng Lake water source protection area.
The sunset outside the window of the Ten Mile Lake Scenery Cafe. Interviewee's photo
These changes meet the needs of different groups of people. Deep in the orchard, Yudao Hongfeng Manor has been upgraded from an ordinary farmhouse to a "five-star farmhouse". Jili, who has visited many cafes in Guiyang, loves picking peaches and drinking coffee here, watching the clouds roll and relax. The "Zhilinju" homestay in the village has been awarded the title of "Qingshan level homestay". With this achievement, Dachong Village has won three provincial-level honors: "Class A Rural Tourism Village", "Five Star Farmhouse", and "Qingshan level homestay". There are also new imaginations on the lake surface – the luxury cabin boat of Yuanxiangli has been launched, and the cultural and tourism industry of Dachong Village is extending from land to water, creating a new landscape of "water land linkage".
Yan Jiuyuan, from Dazhou, Sichuan, came here in Tiktok and came here specially. I'm really amazed. I regret not bringing enough clothes for the photo
Behind these changes in the combination of local and foreign cultures is the continuous exploration of rural revitalization. In 2025, Dachong Village launched the "One Week Village Chief" campaign to recruit talented individuals to reside in the village for a short period of time. Chen Yirong, the second "village chief of the week", proposed that it is not enough to run a homestay just for the sake of opening one. It is necessary to create tourist check-in points and do a good job in integrating business formats. She suggested building a coffee shop in the village to break the misconception that homestays can only accommodate accommodation. The suggestion was adopted, and the coffee shop became the beginning of change.
Rural revitalization has great potential for young people, "said Yudun Xin. Many of the people who run businesses, coffee shops, and homestays in the village are young faces. They bring aesthetics, operational ideas, and a redefinition of what rural areas can look like.
Morning scenery of Dachong Village, Hongfenghu Town, Qingzhen City. Interviewee's photo
As of now, Dachong Village has formed a cluster of 82 homestays and accommodations, with over a thousand beds and an annual occupancy of over 60000 people, driving more than a thousand villagers to enjoy the "tourist meal".
The role of village cafes is not simply commercial support, "said Lin Kezhong. It is a link – activating idle resources, attracting young talents, changing the rural atmosphere, and making Dachong Village have both material and quality.
As night falls, the 'Orange Sea' returns to calm. With the introduction of the caf é manager, Yan Jiuyuan checked into the homestay in the village and continued to check in and take photos.
Those who are attracted by a cup of coffee and a lake view know that this village is still "evolving" and the story is still being written.
Qingzhen Integrated Media Reporter | Li Jinming, Lei Senyue
Editor | Liu Xiaoli and Du Lina
Second instance | Yang Houxin
Third instance review | Wang Yanni