Nearly 5,000 residents who were relocated due to the Daxingzhai Reservoir project celebrated a Chinese New Year marked by both tradition and change in Aizhai town, Jishou, Hunan province. The move, which began in 2023, affected 4,904 individuals from 1,141 households, many belonging to the Miao ethnic group, who left their ancestral wooden stilt houses nestled deep in the mountains.

Prior to relocation, residents like 80-year-old Yang Yongshou had spent their entire lives in the remote, mountainous area, where the view was famously limited. As the process unfolded, families dismantled parts of their old homes to craft new furniture, performed rituals to honor their ancestors, and shared customary Miao wine and songs before transitioning to life beyond the mountains.

By the time of last year’s Spring Festival, most families had moved into their new residences in Aizhai town. These homes, characterized by white walls and gray tiled roofs, are situated beneath the Aizhai Bridge, a prominent 1,176-meter steel-and-cable structure suspended approximately 355 meters above the Dehang Grand Canyon.

During this year’s Chinese New Year celebrations, Yang’s family gathered around a table featuring traditional Miao cured meat and sour fish soup, with the view of the bridge readily visible from their doorway. The sense of community persisted when, on March 3, residents hosted a long-table feast to mark the Lantern Festival.

The relocation has altered daily routines for many. Children who previously navigated winding mountain paths to reach school now ride buses along paved roads. Elderly residents have shifted from farming labor to more leisurely activities like socializing and sunbathing near their homes. Additionally, the area has seen an influx of young people returning to work locally rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere.

Tourism has emerged as a new economic focus, with the Aizhai Bridge, Dehang Grand Canyon, and nearby Shibadong village designated collectively as a 5A-level scenic area, the highest ranking for tourist attractions in China. This status has contributed to job creation for local residents.

The Daxingzhai Reservoir itself, which prompted the relocation, is intended to secure water supplies for approximately half a million people in Jishou. The project is anticipated to be completed in the near future, promising long-term benefits for the region.