Bringing old and new together

Jinhua Home-Stay project fosters healthy exchanges on ancient village preservation

As Philipp Heeb wandered the narrow, ancient streets of Suoyuan village in Jinhua city of Zhejiang province, scribbling notes of what he saw and heard, the 30-year-old wondered what life might have been like here hundreds of years ago.

The Swiss national is an architectural designer who is currently studying for a science master's degree back home. But for the past few weeks he has been a participant in the Jinhua Home-Stay project, launched by Jinhua government last November with the purpose of introducing the city's ancient villages to foreigners.