Island of charm and challenge

On a secluded island, an abandoned school, with a cement basketball court and a two-story classroom building, stands on high ground. From there, you can see the sunset coloring the distant horizon, while closer to shore, fishing boats rest on the shimmering sea, as seabirds circle overhead.

For the past 100 days or so, the abandoned building has been the base camp for a group of young outsiders determined to become the island's developers.

Yushan Island, located in Fuding, Fujian province, is made up of 11 islets with a total area of 28.3 square kilometers. It boasts an array of different landscapes, including mountains, lakes, meadows, seas, beaches and islets, but despite its potential, tourism remains underdeveloped.

The reality show Young Island has brought together more than a dozen young people of various educational backgrounds, who are making use of their skills and fresh perspectives to vitalize the island, with the goal of enhancing its tourism sector — all within a tight 120-day deadline.

They have initial funding of just 13,000 yuan ($1,819) and their projects so far include launching a cultural and creative brand, farming fish, running a restaurant, designing a small auditorium, planning tourist routes, organizing a concert and teaching at the island's primary school.

The reality show follows their progress, and is supplemented by short video clips and live broadcasts. Wang Jian, deputy director of Fuding's bureau of culture, sports and tourism, says that he hopes the show highlights Yushan Island's natural beauty, attracts more tourists and encourages investment in Fuding's cultural and tourism sectors.

Wu Yuxuan, a 26-year-old visitor from Yibin in Sichuan province, was enticed to the island by the show.

"It has a relaxing feel, with its pristine fishing village and minimal commercialization," she says, adding that she was inspired by the determination of participants to effect change.

A college teacher, Laly, from Shanghai, who requested anonymity, and who frequently travels to islands both in China and abroad, visited Yushan on July 9 after watching the show. "It's the scenery that initially draws me in, but an island's cultural aspects are what make me want to stay," she says, adding that she hopes to see a museum or exhibitions during her visit.

In fact, putting on an exhibition was on the participants' to-do list, and they recently brought this initiative to life.

Sailing on the Earth, an exhibition organized by 24-year-old actor and curator Xu Fei, who is also known as Figo, is running until Aug 18 at a gallery in a renovated home, which had its roof torn off by a typhoon. It features art by the late painter Guan Shanyue, artist Bai Lingfei and Hong Kong actor and painter Elvis Tsui, along with many pieces on the theme of ocean conservation sourced from the public.

Unique experience

The exhibition space was designed by 26-year-old Ma Qirui, a postgraduate student of the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University.

The son of an architectural consultant, Ma grew up wanting to be an architect because he feels that architecture embodies a strong sense of fulfillment. "You create a blueprint, and the resulting building can stand for generations. I used to think that was romantic," he explains.

When Ma actually became a student of architecture, though, he discovered that for most architects, the work is far more tedious than he'd imagined.

Ma believed that architecture is best taught through case-based learning, where one learns by studying projects, and he was eager to find opportunities to design something outside of the classroom. So, when he was offered the chance to participate in the show, he didn't hesitate.

Ma found the idea of building something from scratch both attractive and challenging, and since joining the show, he has been renovating old island homes, doing interior design for the aforementioned restaurant and designing a small auditorium for tourists to photograph.

In addition to the design work, he has to meet officials from Yushan town, communicate with homeowners to understand their needs, coordinate with building material suppliers and liaise with construction teams.

Using architecture to aid rural vitalization is not something new to Ma. In 2021, while studying at Tianjin University, he and two schoolmates won first prize in the UIAHYP Cup 2021 International Student Competition in Architectural Design, sponsored by the International Union of Architects and organized by the university and Urban Environment Design magazine. Their winning project integrated nature education with architecture, to boost rural development.

Living on the remote island has given him new insights into the use of architecture for rural vitalization.

Huang Haote, 27, is another participant in the reality show. He studied logistics management as an undergraduate at Tongji University and later obtained a master's degree in supply chain management from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands. After returning to China, he worked for Apple China in Shanghai. As a fan of Steve Jobs, working for the company was his dream job. However, he gradually realized that he was not fulfilled in his role.

"In university, I learned to manage the entire process from planning to production, operations, procurement and logistics. But because Apple is so large, I was only responsible for production scheduling. I couldn't see the bigger picture. I wasn't as happy as I thought I would be," he says.

After two years, he resigned and began traveling, spending 30 to 45 days on each trip, visiting places in China and around the world. As an outgoing person who easily makes friends in different cultures, Huang felt there had to be more possibilities in life. With a wide range of interests, he has explored various fields in search of his passion, dabbling in astrology, psychology and finance.

Now on the island, his Excel skills have made him the group's financial manager. He encourages other members to break down their daily to-do lists and plans, and create weekly reports to track their progress.

"I want to share efficient work methods from my corporate experience to enhance our group's efficiency in improving the island," Huang says.

He is also a skilled communicator, helping the team clarify their thinking during meetings. Most importantly, on the island, he is no longer just a cog in a large corporation.

"I have the opportunity to participate in a project from start to finish and witness it come to life," he adds.

Another world

Among all the participants on the show, Tamdrin, 23, who is also known as Ding Zhen, is certainly the most well-known. From the Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province, the young Tibetan became a social media sensation in November 2020 after a photographer posted a 7-second video of his smiling face. Shortly after, he was appointed Sichuan's cultural tourism ambassador and participated in numerous variety shows.

The show's director, Xu Langjun, describes him as "a truly sincere young man who lets his actions speak louder than words".

"Tamdrin has a sense of freedom and relaxation that is rare in city boys. He laughs openly, relishes his meals and plays with his friends like a child," Xu comments.

On the island, Tamdrin often feeds the fish late at night, working until dawn. Although it's tiring, he finds what he does fascinating because it's entirely different to the life he led in the highlands, and he says it feels like living in another world.

Staying with a group of peers his age has been his most valuable experience.

"We were strangers at first, sharing meals and living on the island together, gradually getting to know and understand each other. I find this process interesting. My Mandarin has also improved a lot, thanks to talking to them," he says.

For Si Junyi, another reality show participant, who has been boarding since junior middle school, communal living is more familiar. He believes this experience enhanced his empathy, allowing him to better recognize the emotions of others and respond appropriately, which helps maintain a harmonious group dynamic.

From the moment he arrived on the island, he began engaging with local residents to understand their concerns, and with tourists to learn their needs.

A graduate in economics from Ohio State University, Si is seeking entrepreneurial opportunities and this experience has provided him with insights into entrepreneurship.

"In the show, we're like a big company, with each department doing different things, but all ultimately aiming to promote Yushan tourism."

The young men's 120-day journey is nearing its end. What they have offered the island will take time to bear fruit, but what the island has offered them has already enriched their lives.