Baoshan Luojing's "Xingzhixing Third Space" on 67 acres of land has established a natural education classroom by integrating four key elements. In Yangqiao Village, Baoshan Luojing, unused forests and surrounding idle resources were repurposed to create a unique space focused on labor practice, ideological education, and intangible cultural heritage experiences. This initiative has successfully boosted income for the village collective and local residents on the primary and secondary school study tour circuit.

Revitalizing Idle Rural Resources as a Low-Cost Water Source Protection Zone Model

Yangqiao Village, situated at the Shanghai-Jiangsu border in Baoshan Luojing, features dense river networks, interconnected forests and fields, and is adjacent to the Chenhang Reservoir water source protection zone. The village retains an idle old rice mill. With high-quality agricultural and forestry resources lying dormant on one side, and urban primary and secondary schools lacking outdoor labor practice grounds on the other, the "Xingzhixing Third Space" was conceived. The project avoided large-scale demolition and costly construction, instead opting to repurpose local idle resources. It is divided into four functional areas: a forest natural classroom, a farming and labor zone, an intangible cultural heritage handcraft workshop, and a red study tour trail. This layout integrates three types of local resources: ecological agriculture, red history, and Jiangnan intangible cultural heritage. Operationally, it adopts an innovative four-party co-management model. The town government handles overall planning, the village committee is responsible for daily ecological protection of the forest, local primary and secondary schools lead curriculum development and ensure a steady stream of students, and a third-party operations team executes activities and guarantees safety. All parties regularly review and optimize the curriculum system, supported by three major mechanisms for safety emergencies, site maintenance, and volunteer services, ensuring the base's stable year-round operation.

Zoned Management and Ecological Restoration Safeguard the City's Water Source Ecological Barrier

Due to its proximity to the drinking water source protection zone, the base prioritized ecological protection from the start. Staff conducted systematic ecological restoration across the area: planting native broadleaf tree species to improve forest structure, dredging village rivers, renovating ecological embankments to intercept agricultural non-point source pollution, and simultaneously managing idle fields and roadside weeds while improving ecological ditches to comprehensively protect water source quality. The entire forest area implements a three-tier zoned management system. The core ecological conservation zone is off-limits to visitors, and the study tour buffer zone strictly limits daily visitor numbers to prevent excessive trampling that could damage soil, water, and vegetation. Park trails exclusively use low-impact facilities like wooden boardwalks and permeable pavements to minimize human construction's impact on the native ecology. A regular ecological monitoring system is also established to track long-term changes in forest vegetation, river water quality, and wildlife.

Four-in-One Integration with Multi-Layered Courses Catering to All School-Age Study Tour Needs

The base moves beyond a single labor experience limitation, creating a four-in-one integrated business model: "ecological protection + under-forest economy + red culture and intangible heritage + practical education." Products are designed in layers to suit students from primary to high school. Younger children can experience rice planting, picking wild vegetables in the forest, and creating intangible heritage crafts like Luojing cross-stitch and Sixi Feng cake. Middle and high school students can participate in red-themed scenario-based party lessons and forest ecological observation surveys. The base also offers half-day and full-day family labor packages, catering to both公益性 on-campus study tours and market-oriented family leisure needs. A complete industrial chain loop amplifies the industrial value: upstream, standardized cultivation of high-quality rice, taro, and other crops occurs; midstream, the idle rice mill is used for primary deep processing of agricultural products; downstream, local-themed cultural and creative products like rice fields, ancient elm trees, and cross-stitch are designed, with sales channels including campus group purchases, community exhibitions, and on-site direct sales. Leveraging local forest and agricultural resources, it creates a proprietary "Xingzhixing" practical education IP, regularly hosts study tour competitions, and connects with Baoshan red cultural tourism routes to establish a leading benchmark brand for suburban rural natural education.

Multi-Stakeholder Profit Distribution Model Boosts Income for Both Village Collective and Residents

To allow all parties to share in development dividends, the base has established a triple income distribution system: "rent + study tour dividends + labor wages." The operating company leases the land and pays regular fixed rent. The village collective shares in project profits based on the actual annual number of study tour participants. Farmers who participate in agricultural labor, intangible cultural heritage crafts, and study tour services receive labor wages. This creates a virtuous pattern of collaborative construction, shared risks, and shared benefits between the government, enterprises, village collectives, and communities. Currently, the base hosts nearly 300 study tour activities annually, receiving 80,000 teachers and students per year, with a maximum single-day capacity of 500 people. It provides over 60 nearby jobs year-round, directly increasing the average annual income of Yangqiao Village residents. Demand for renting idle village houses has also significantly increased.

Revitalizing Idle Resources with Four-in-One Integration

This case is suitable for villages on the outskirts of cities that have forest and agricultural resources and idle spaces. The core value lies in avoiding large-scale new construction, reducing investment costs by repurposing existing resources, and balancing public education with market operations through collaboration between schools, villages, and enterprises. Under strict ecological constraints, it integrates forest, farmland, red culture, and intangible cultural heritage skills into a unified study tour product. It establishes a multi-layered dividend distribution mechanism to achieve simultaneous income increases for the collective and farmers, providing a replicable path for adhering to ecological bottom lines and breaking new ground in rural industries.