The rice-fish culture system in Qingtian county, Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

A group of students from Shanghai has participated in a study tour in Longxian village in Lishui's Qingtian county, Zhejiang province, exploring the millennia-old rice-fish culture system and the area's overseas Chinese heritage.

The village, a core protection zone for the Qingtian rice-fish culture system, was designated a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) site in 2005 and later named a model village under the Village Recognition Initiative of Food and Agriculture Organization in 2026.

In recent years, returning overseas Chinese have played a key role in vitalizing the village. Wu Liqun, a returned overseas Chinese from Spain, joined the village committee in 2017 and led improvements in waste sorting, public toilets, and overall environmental governance.

Yang Xiao'ai, who had lived in Germany, Italy, and Ecuador, returned to her hometown in 2019 and founded a study camp for primary and secondary students to explore the agricultural heritage.

Wu Yongqiang, with 20 years in hospitality, opened the village's first boutique guesthouse, integrating local rice-fish products to boost farmers' income.

In 2022, the Qingtian Rice-Fish Culture System Museum opened as China's first GIAHS-dedicated museum, featuring exhibits on ecological models and cultural history.

In 2025, the Heshanlin Youth Co-creation Community, launched by young overseas returnees, introduced nature study, handicraft workshops, and a cafe, attracting over 6,000 visitors and creating 30 local jobs since last June.