AIRI Urban-Rural Sustainability Action Proposal Competition
Winners and Finalists

The AIRI Urban-Rural Sustainability Action Proposal Competition was organised in August-September 2023 to encourage Fellows who have completed the AIRI Urban-Rural Sustainability Fellowship 2022-23 to translate their knowledge and skill sets into actions and create sustainability impact for the rural areas. The competition received 20 entries from Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan and Thailand. The entries were examined according to four assessment criteria, namely: (1) Contribution to the sustainable development of rural communities; (2) Creativity, innovation and originality; (3) Feasibility of the solution; and (4) Capability of the team. Among the nine finalists shortlisted by the Regional Panels, the Judging Panel selected one winning proposal from Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan and Thailand respectively. The four winning teams will each receive seed grant of up to US$25,000 for project implementation.

Winners

Best Proposal from Hong Kong: Discover Rural Living Culture—Exploration of Rural Sustainable Development in Hong Kong

Xing Wenwei (project leader), Leung Chin Pui Perry, Lok Wai Ying, Cheung KaKin

As rural restaurants are social hubs of villages, this project aims to utilise the social capital of a long-established tea house in a traditional village, Sheung Tsuen in Pat Heung, Yuen Long, to promote local rural history, tourism and agriculture. The project team will document the village’s oral history stories, and develop a rural restaurant guide, a rural tourism guide, and a local agriculture product network.

Best Proposal from Mainland China: Nanjian Tiaocha (南澗跳茶)

Mao Enhui (project leader), Zhang Huibin, Liu Mingjie, Zhang Kaixiang, Kong Yao

This project aims to harness the Yi ethnic culture of "Dish-Serving Dances" to empower the development of the tea industry in Nanjian, Yunnan. The project team will create a brand IP of “Nanjian Tea Dance” and sell “Tea Dance” products on live streaming platforms. This plan adopts a "Government + Enterprise + Tea Farmers" model to establish deep connections among multiple stakeholders.

Best Proposal from Taiwan: Seaside Village Revitalization Information Service Center: A case design for the travel route in Turtle Island Village Community

Huang Chien-Tu (project leader), Chen Yun-Cheng, Li Hua-Syuan

Whale watching is a very popular tourist attraction in Taiwan and is threatening to degrade the marine ecosystems. This project aims to promote sustainable tourism and cultural inheritance for Turtle Island in Yilan by establishing an information platform that integrates coastal lifestyle information, promotes friendly interactions with tourists, enhances tourists’ understanding of the fishing village resources, and creates opportunities for value co-creation.

Best Proposal from Thailand: Saving Roots & Routes: The Hua Ta Khe Community Regeneration Project

Siwarat Pattanasri (project leader), Rattikarn Khumbud, Umbha Bunyaket, Nattapon Junteenok, Christopher Van Deita

This project aims to boost the sustainability and livability of Hua Ta Khe, Bangkok. The project team will strengthen the tourism route scenery through launching a contest that raises awareness and engages local citizens in the planning process. It will also design and promote eco-friendly travel routes, and reinstate traditional farming activities while introducing low-carbon methods.

Finalists

Shell-we-connect: Advancing Oyster Networks, Industry, and Open Water Resources in Lau Fau Shan (Hong Kong)

Lee Chi Hang Haven (project leader), Kong Anthony, Liang Anqi Angel, Wong Kit Man Agnes, Tinny Chu

This project aims to uplift and prolong the culturally significant oyster industry in Lau Fau Shan through active community engagement and diversification of the oyster industry. The project team proposed to organise public forums and interactive design workshops, develop oyster associated products lines to reconnect the industry with the younger generation, and offer “oyster workaholiday” & “shadowing experience”.

Future Village Innovation Lab (Mainland China)

Chen Jingjing (project leader), Liu Jin, Cao Mengdi, Liu Chuanlei, Chen Minli, Yang Huanhuan

This project, located in Qingshan Village, Hangzhou, aims to integrate theory and practice by bringing together experts and farmers. The project team proposed to recruit leading village practitioners as tutors to create rural knowledge products for customized training. Key actions include online and offline training programmes, villagers forum and Hackathon, community building and networking, and innovative projects incubation.

Panda.Ba: A community-based nature education project of Guanba Village in the National Park (Mainland China)

Cao Chunkai (project leader), Wu Haiming, Sun Yiyun, He Haiyan, Meng Ji, Yi Yuanyuan

This project, situated in Guanba Village, Sichuan, aims to revamp and enhance Guanba’s nature education offerings to make the business fully village-run, self-sustainable, and market-competitive. The project team proposed to standardise modular curriculum design and develop training toolboxes to empower villagers. It also hopes to realise Guanba’s market potential by making use of the local stories to conduct a social marketing campaign.

Mkmatuy Sustainability Plan (Taiwan)

Yang Tzu-Yi (project leader), Lin Xuan-Jin

This project, located in Yixing Village, Hsinchu, aims to promote the sustainable development of the Mkmatuy Tribe. The project team proposed to develop cultural experience activities to promote tribal tourism and produce cultural experience material packages to spread Atayal culture to various places. The team plans to collaborate with the Ten Miles Around Cooperative and the local elementary schools to enhance the sustainability of the project.

Youth Empowerment through Green Agriculture (YEGA) for rural revitalization in the Thai Berng community, Ban Khok Salung subdistrict, Lopburi Province, Thailand (Thailand)

Surendra Tiwari (project leader), Tran Thi Nhu Ngoc, Punchaya Raksasakun, Roengnarong Sukklud, Kanokchai Mangmesup, Areerat Mansalung

This project in Ban Khok Salung aims to ensure food security, safe consumption, and biodiversity conservation through Community Supported Agriculture, youth empowerment, and digital transformation. Project actions include holding agriculture workshops, establishing the Green Farm Learning Center, training of trainers, establishing seed bank, organising school green market, making guidelines/curriculum, organising public showcase, and holding PR activities via digital and social media.