The sky splashing traffic of Quan Hongchan and the Maihe Village standing at the forefront of the wind
Maihe Village signs with Olympic rings
Cars cannot go over, please park outside. "In recent months, Maihe Village in Mazhang Town, Zhanjiang, Guangdong has been crowded with people every day because it is the hometown of Quan Hongchan, the youngest" Three Golden Kings "in Chinese Olympic history.
The originally quiet village seems to have turned into a scenic spot overnight. The influx of "splashing the sky" traffic has turned Quan Hongchan's doorstep into a "snack street", with tourists rushing from all over, constantly pressing the shutter button like taking photos for tourism.
From a quiet village to an internet celebrity check-in spot
At around 11 o'clock on September 13th, a reporter from Chao News arrived at Maihe Village. The first thing that caught the eye was a particularly eye-catching village sign with the Olympic rings logo, and a poster of the all red Chan Paris gold medal. A continuous stream of tourists stop here, imitating the award-winning pose of Quan Hongchan for photos.
Walking along the village road for about 5 minutes, you will arrive at Quan Hongchan's house, a simple two-story flat building with no shiny tiles on the exterior walls and two phoenix trees in front of the door.
Photo by Zheng Xinhong, a journalist from Jiachao News in Maihe Village, featuring Quan Hongchan
On that day, it was the second day that Quan Hongchan returned to her hometown after two years, and the doorstep was already crowded with tourists. A fence has been set up outside the yard, and there is a huge poster on one side that reads "Friends, Welcome" for tourists to take photos and check in.
At noon, Mr. Gao, who had come by motorcycle from Maoming, rushed to the door as soon as he got off the car, posing and taking photos. It took less than a minute before he pulled his daughter out of the crowd. "My daughter is a fan of Quan Hongchan. I saw many people in Tiktok clocking in and brought her here," Mr. Xie said.
I am a lover of diving and have always been very interested in Quan Hongchan. She is a 'national treasure', "said Ms. Pan, who runs a homestay in Dapeng, Shenzhen, with a smile." The locals are very enthusiastic, and I am excited and moved to see everyone's love for the 'national treasure'
Ms. Pan, a tourist, accepted an interview with Tide News reporter. Photo by Tide News reporter Zheng Xinhong
There are also many private cars from other provinces such as Guangxi and Hunan in the parking lot at the village entrance. Mr. Liu from Hunan drove here and told a reporter from Tide News that after browsing short videos online, he came over with his wife while there were not many people on weekdays. We are all fans of 'Quanbao' and want to see where she grew up. There are too many people here, "Mr. Zhang said.
Among the tourists who check in, many are family based "parent-child groups", and parents hope to come here to inspire their children to learn the spirit of Quan Hongchan's unremitting efforts. Some are middle-aged and elderly people who participate in the travel agency's "Quanhongchan Hometown Day Tour" to reminisce about their rural life in their youth.
Photo by Zheng Xinhong, a journalist from the tourism group Tide News who came to take photos for check-in
Villagers introduced to Chao News reporters that since winning the All Hong Chan championship at the Paris Olympics, Maihe Village has been performing the same scene every day. In front of Quan Hongchan's house, waves of tourists queued up to clock in, even during the days when Typhoon Capricorn made landfall.
The income from setting up stalls on the 'Snack Street' is high
Maihe Village, with a total area of 6.46 square kilometers and a history of over 500 years, was previously labeled as a "revolutionary old area village". And the emergence of Quan Hongchan has turned this village into the "hometown of Olympic champions" and entered the public eye.
This summer, with the influx of people, villagers have started setting up stalls selling water on the road from the village entrance to Quan Hongchan's doorstep. Slowly, other villagers sensed business opportunities and started small businesses at their doorstep.
Photo by Zheng Xinhong, a journalist for the "Snack Street" trend
The Chao News reporter saw that on the village road only 200 meters away, there were specialties such as pitaya, jackfruit, toro cake, brown sugar, and snacks such as beef offal, pig's feet, chicken legs, sheep's feet, etc., which formed a "snack street".
We have been setting up our stall for over a month, and there is no charge in the village, "Ms. Quan, who runs a noodle shop on the street, told a reporter from Tide News. She and her husband mainly sell noodle soup, and when the foot traffic is at its peak, they are basically too busy. After the summer vacation, the daily revenue has remained stable at around 700-800 yuan, which is quite satisfactory, "Ms. Quan explained.
In addition to the residents of our village, there are also many villagers from other villages who set up stalls in Maihe Village. Mr. Huang, who runs a handmade fragrant twisted tea shop on the street, told the Tide News reporter that he hasn't been here for long, but his business has always been good.
After the summer vacation, there may be fewer people, but with Quan Hongchan's return, the number of people has increased again in the past two days, which will definitely be helpful for our business. "Speaking of managing here, Mr. Huang couldn't hide his joy in his heart.
Villagers smell business opportunities and start small businesses at their doorstep. Photo by journalist Zheng Xinhong
According to villagers, in the past, people mainly engaged in farming and worked outside as a supplement. However, after the emergence of the Quanhongchan craze, many villagers who went out to work also returned to their hometowns to set up stalls.
Many vendors told Tide News reporters that they had this opportunity because of the appearance of Quan Hongchan. A villager who sells Sugar cane juice told the Chao News reporter that she is a housewife and mainly takes care of children. Now she also starts to set up stalls. "Although she doesn't earn much, she can subsidize her family".
Open your arms, all who come are guests
During this period in Maihe Village, wearing straw hats and sweating all over the body are the daily work states of many village cadres. During the interview, some village officials told Chao News reporters that in the summer of 2021, Quan Hongchan's overnight fame caught this small village off guard. Now, the village is embracing various opportunities and challenges.
Faced with the influx of tourists, the village committee has taken many measures: designing promotional display boards, building parking lots, enclosing railings around Quan Hongchan's home, and creating a check-in area.
So, what tourists see when they come to Maihe Village is: a narrow village entrance where traffic police are responsible for directing traffic; After entering the village, warning lines can be seen everywhere, and staff patrol day and night; At Quan Hongchan's doorstep, police officers and volunteers from the township are maintaining order; Garbage bins can be seen everywhere in the snack street, and sanitation workers come and go to clean them.
Traffic police are responsible for directing traffic flow. Photo by journalist Zheng Xinhong
Mr. Liu, a recently arrived volunteer, told Chao News reporters that the volunteers here are mainly township civil servants who work three shifts a day from 8am to 10pm. The job is actually not complicated. It mainly maintains the order of the flow of people, and sometimes helps tourists take photos and guide them
The head of Maihe Village, Quan Nanshan, stated in an interview with Chao News that the main focus of the village at present is to maintain good order and provide timely services. At the same time, he also stated that the village committee has not decided to "close the village", and everyone who comes is a guest, as long as it does not interfere with the normal life of the villagers.
Photo by Zheng Xinhong, a journalist from Mazhang Communist Youth League Convenience Volunteer Service Point Tide News
Journalist's note:
As the youngest "Three Golden Kings" in Chinese Olympic history, Quan Hongchan has become a true "national idol" with her outstanding athletic talent and lively personality. After the Olympics, her hometown of Maihe Village in Mazhang Town, Zhanjiang, Guangdong quickly became a "popular check-in spot" due to its high popularity, and her doorstep also became a "snack street".
This lively scene not only reflects the national love for Quan Hongchan, but also to some extent contributes to the economic development of the village. However, Quan Hongchan is still a minor and has her own private space. We should not interfere too much with her and her family's peaceful life.
