Photographs are exhibited in the Ni Art Museum in Quzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

In Longyou county, Quzhou, Zhejiang province, along the banks of the Lingshan River, stands the Ni Art Museum, which was repurposed from an abandoned industrial site into a thriving art space.

Once the Huangniwei Hydropower Station, slated for demolition, the museum in Xikou town now ranks among the top three art venues in Zhejiang.

In September 2023, Fu Yongjun, a photography professor at Communication University of Zhejiang, led a team to repurpose the site into a Chinese Rural Photography Art Center, where exhibitions showcased contemporary Chinese history through documentary photography.

Zhan Ziqi, a young documentary filmmaker, returned to her hometown, Longyou, and took over as the museum's curator on Jan 1. From visitor to resident artist and now executive curator, Zhan sees the museum as a space for dialogue with the land, not just a gallery of isolated works.

The two-story museum features permanent exhibitions and community-driven projects, like My Rural Photo, which showcases images submitted from across the nation. Zhan's efforts to document the stories behind these photos breathe life into the static images.

The museum also cultivates local connections. Villagers' self-portraits and recordings of former hydroelectric station employees' stories are integral parts of the exhibitions, fostering a sense of community ownership.

The Ni Art Museum, alongside new ventures like the Ni Photo Studio and Dance Art Museum in Xikou town, exemplifies how art spaces can grow from abandoned sites, fostering community and creativity.