Chinese woman’s countryside museum preserves disappearing rural culture

A 60-year-old woman who lives in a Chinese mountain village an hour’s drive west of Beijing has spent over two decades collecting old objects from crumbling village houses. Racing against demolition crews, Qi Shufen has collected thousands of objects to document a disappearing rural lifestyle, and now runs a countryside museum to display her finds. In recent decades, millions of people have moved from the countryside to urban centres, with local governments often demolishing the villages they leave behind. 

Qi’s museum in Fenglinwan scenic area (枫林湾景区) in the Mentougou district west of Beijing can be reached by phone at +86-15611463850.