In Jiading, rural revitalization is never about copying a single template across every village. When the city's bustle ends at the boundary line, we find here the most moving version of "a metropolis's countryside." Today, we take you into Dayu Village in Malu Town.
In the northeast corner of Malu Town lies a Jiangnan hidden gem where you can "see scenery when you open the window and greenery with every step." Dayu Village borders Baoshan District to the east and Xuhang Town to the north, covering 8.52 square kilometers. It is Jiading's largest village by area and has been recognized as a National Key Rural Tourism Village and a National Forest Village.
Stepping into Dayu Village, rural revitalization is no longer an abstract concept. It is the sweetness of a grape, the vastness of a rice field, the quietness of an art museum, and the smiles written on the faces of villagers and visitors alike.
Four villages merged to create one "Dayu" dream village
The name "Dayu" sounds abundant the moment you read it. This is not an ancient name passed down through the ages, but one formed at the beginning of this century when Malu Town advanced village-level administrative integration, through two rounds of merging the original four natural villages of Xuwang, Wanglou, Liucun, and Zhanggu. These two characters carry the meaning of "grand prospects and abundant prosperity," and also embody the original aspiration of prospering industry, enriching the people, and bringing long-term stability and affluence.
From a traditional farming village to today's popular destination known for "grapes as its foundation and art as its soul," Dayu Village has spent more than 20 years turning the hopes embedded in its name into reality.
From fields to a painted scroll: the "comeback" and "breakout" of a Jiangnan water town
If your impression of Dayu Village is still that of an ordinary rural area, it will certainly surprise you. As one of the three protected villages designated in the Jiading District Village Layout Plan (2014-2035), it preserves the most complete Jiangnan water town texture: fields in blocks, forests in patches, and water in networks. In spring, egrets fly over vast flooded fields; in summer, grape fragrance and dense shade block the sun; in autumn, golden rice waves complement the fair-faced concrete art museum; in winter, thin mist wraps the scene like an ink-wash scroll.
With farmhouse renovations, road hardening, river purification, and courtyard beautification, the "15-minute rural life circle" allows villagers to see scenery when they open their windows and greenery with every step. National Civilized Village and Town, China Beautiful Leisure Village, Shanghai Rural Revitalization Demonstration Village... a string of honors has been conferred. Today's Dayu Village is the absolute core of the agriculture-culture-tourism zone in Malu Town's "agriculture in the north, industry in the south" layout.
Looking back decades, this was still traditional farmland dependent on the weather. Pig farming, rabbit farming, mushroom growing—villagers struggled in the simplest ways. The real turning point came from a tiny grape. In 1981, the "father of Malu grapes," Shan Chuanlun, took root in Malu, introduced quality varieties, studied cultivation techniques, and resolved to make grapes a "fruit of prosperity." After the town and village merger in 2000, Dayu Village seized the momentum. Households built grape sheds. From an initial 8,000 mu with annual income of 3 million yuan, it has grown to 4,000 mu with annual output value exceeding 100 million yuan. Grapes truly became the villagers' "golden fruit."
In 2005, the Malu Grape Theme Park, integrating research, cultivation, and tourism, was completed, opening a new chapter in agriculture-tourism integration. In 2023, the completion of Jiayuanhai Art Museum amid the rice fields allowed Dayu Village to achieve a true "breakout." World-renowned architect Tadao Ando's fair-faced concrete structure blends seamlessly with the pastoral scenery, declaring that the prejudice of "no art in the countryside" has been completely shattered. From "selling grapes" to "selling experiences," art is no longer exclusive to the city but has quietly integrated into villagers' daily lives.
From grapes to art: the integration path of an industrial chain
Industrial revitalization is the top priority of rural revitalization. Dayu Village anchors itself to the positioning of "grape hometown, art sea, beautifully shared Dayu," building an integrated development system of "grape-led, art-empowered, culture-tourism-linked." The village committee leads the establishment of a grape industry chain alliance, promoting full-chain development of "cultivation + sales + cultural tourism." Not only are deep-processed products such as raisins, grape tea, and grape cultural creative products increasingly popular, but the Malu Grape Digital Cloud Platform also gives each bunch of grapes a专属 "digital ID," enabling full-chain traceability.
At the same time, livestreaming skills training for grape-growing farmers is being advanced in parallel. A cumulative 108 online livestream sessions have been completed with farmers' assistance, helping the Malu grape brand value jump to 672 million yuan that year. With Jiayuanhai Art Museum as the core, art studios, intangible cultural heritage workshops, and cultural creative shops have successively moved in. The dual platforms of "art exhibitions + industry chain matchmaking salons" work together to attract business through culture and gather enterprises through the chain. At the Yiqu Hui Intangible Cultural Heritage Handicraft Experience Hall, courses such as Jiading bamboo carving and Malu bamboo weaving are regularly held, passing on local culture through fingertips.
The "Grape Hometown, Art Sea" premium tourism route connects the Grape Theme Park, the Art Museum, and the Seven Scenes of Rural Revitalization (Xiaofeiying, Yunmengzhu, Qisi Lin, etc.). Diverse formats including picking, study tours, exhibitions, intangible cultural heritage experiences, and homestay vacations are flourishing, receiving over 300,000 visitors annually. "Rural accommodation, grape picking, art appreciation" has become Dayu Village's most popular tourism calling card.
From countryside to exhibition hall: a touchable immersive journey
What to do in Dayu Village? How to enjoy it? Follow this list and set off~
Jiayuanhai Art Museum: For your first stop in Dayu Village, check in at Jiayuanhai Art Museum. This fair-faced concrete building set amid golden rice fields was designed by Tadao Ando. The museum hosts high-quality calligraphy and painting exhibitions, contemporary art exhibitions, and special rural-themed exhibitions year-round. The second-floor landscape café faces the ever-changing rice field scenery, allowing high-end art to truly take root in the countryside.
Malu Grape Theme Park: Next, head to Malu Grape Theme Park. This 500-mu comprehensive modern agricultural park is both a grape research base and a parent-child study paradise. When grapes ripen in summer, the whole garden is filled with fruity fragrance, offering a one-stop experience of picking, science education, and farming activities.
Yiqu Hui Intangible Cultural Heritage Handicraft Experience Hall: Visitors who love intangible cultural heritage should not miss Yiqu Hui. You can personally try Jiading bamboo carving or Malu bamboo weaving and make a piece of rural cultural creative work of your own.
Hongtai Garden: If you just want to find a quiet place, Hongtai Garden is an ideal choice. This Jiangnan garden-style ecological park is surrounded by water systems with scattered pavilions and terraces. The scenery is elegant in all four seasons. It is suitable for walking, wellness, and nature education, making it a poetic resting space away from the city's noise.
Under the grape vines, art grows tall; above the rice fields, Dayu Village's autumn is welcoming its most beautiful harvest, waiting for you to encounter it!
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