Huashu’ao, a remote village in central China’s Henan Province, was once almost left empty as villagers moved out. But it has taken up a new lease on life thanks to the introduction of ceramic arts.

Arts and crafts, including large pottery vats, colorful enamel paintings and wall art using thousands of ceramic bowls to depict the cosmos, have given the village’s old residences a facelift.

The once worn-out village in Luoling township, Luoning county, Luoyang city of Henan now attracts a large number of visitors to explore the charm of its ceramic arts and beautiful scenery.

Photo shows a scene of Huashu’ao village in Luoling township, Luoning county, Luoyang city, central China’s Henan Province. (Photo/Chen Lu)

The dramatic change happened based on the support of an artist. Nine years ago, Guo Aihe, a ceramic artist known for his Sancai techniques, a tri-color glazed pottery dating from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), would occasionally visit the village surrounded by green mountains and rivers during self-driving tours.

Guo, who is also the curator of the Luoyang Sancai Art Museum in Luoyang city, decided to introduce ceramic arts to the village.

Guo then led a team from the museum to the village to transform it by following the principle of keeping its authentic rural features.

The shabby buildings and old objects that seemed useless in the eyes of villagers were a source of inspiration for Guo’s team. They turned cob walls into art walls, and cave dwellings into recreational venues, and decorated the village with 9,999 large pottery vats.

Meanwhile, flowerpots, guardrails, garbage cans, signposts, booths and trails in the village were all decorated with ceramics. Guo also planted various kinds of flowers on hills and at the roadside in the village.

Thanks to the support from Luoling township, infrastructure has been improved in the village, which is now connected with asphalt roads. Besides, the village has promoted the large-scale planting of oilseed and sunflowers. Now all eight households in the village live in new homes.

With the village attracting an increasing number of tourists, many villagers have returned to their hometown to run homestay businesses, maintain buildings and roads, and work as gardeners, among other roles.

Han Fengxiao, a villager who is over 60 years old, now works as a cook and earns 3,000 yuan (about $447.4) per month. “Ceramic arts bring good luck to us. We are so happy,” said Han.

To increase the public profile of Huashu’ao village, Guo invited 23 artists from both China and abroad to create artworks in the village starting in 2015. Guo said he has always wondered how to introduce more art elements into the village to bring more benefits to villagers.

“Revitalizing villages through art has proved to be feasible in Luoning county with its beautiful scenery and profound culture. I want to contribute my part to the art education of local people,” Guo said.

Guo’s team has provided financial support for over 1,000 teachers and students in primary and secondary schools in the county for study tours to museums and art galleries in Luoyang city, in addition to inviting artists to offer aesthetic-related courses to music and fine arts teachers, as well as primary and secondary school students in rural areas.