In the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, since 2009, there has been an ecological settlement called “The Second Home of Lifechanyuan”. Free from urban life and the framework of the “system”, the settlement consists mainly of people who do not want to create their own families, divorced, as well as couples who met each other on the territory of the settlement.
As the founders and residents of the “Oasis” themselves note, the goals of the settlement are: The main hobbies of the residents are singing, dancing and various games. Being an ecovillage with a developed spiritual life, there is no “official” religious belief in it; the values of Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and other less common confessions are also revered here. The Second Home of Lifechanyuan honors nature, man and all forms of life, as well as the harmonious interaction between them.
May, 2009 – November, 2013
Three settlements have been established in Yunnan Province with a permanent population of 150. Guests from 15 countries visited The Second Home of Lifechanyuan.
April, 2013 – March, 2014
Местные власти пригрозили распустить одно из поселений. Они перерезали линию электричества, разрушили дороги и водопроводы, подстрекали соседних жителей на провокации, грозили незаконностью земли и многое другое. Спустя некоторое время, другие территории The Second Home of Lifechanyuan так же подверглись серьёзным угрозам. После переговоров с местными органами, у жителей не оставалось иного варианта, кроме как покинуть территорию поселения. В период с ноября 2013 по март 2014 все жители были вынуждены выселиться.
March, 2014
Due to the expulsion, the residents began to search for a new place for an ecovillage, while many young people moved to the cities. The rest of the members moved to two farms: in Xinjiang province, northwest China, and Jiangsu, in the east of the country. Thus began a new life of the eco-village, although the number of inhabitants has noticeably decreased.
July 2014
Residents faced the same situation as in Yunnan province. Water pipes and electricity were cut, land officials destroyed houses. In July 2014, residents left Jiangsu province and migrated to Xinjiang.
October, 2014 – January, 2015
Farms in Xinjiang have been inspected by local authorities. One of the farms, built two months before the incident, was destroyed by the authorities. The members of the settlement had to leave the territory in the cold winter. They returned to the cities to work. A small farm in the northwest continued to exist with less than 20 inhabitants.
January, 2015
The search for suitable land for the ecovillage continued. The territory in the south of China with a favorable climate and environment was chosen. At the same time, a small farm in Xinjiang continued its development.
The main principles of The Second Home of Lifechanyuan:
The eco-settlement has an Internet connection with an acceptable speed. Almost 90% of the food consumed by the settlement is vegetarian: vegetables, fruits, beans. However, eggs and meat products are also present in the diet in the minority.