Welcome to **Xiaocheng Folk Art Village**, a remote settlement perched above the Yellow River. As the outside world begins to discover its potential as a cultural heritage site, a battle of narratives unfolds.
Choose Your Role:
- [[Play as the Beijing Intellectual]]
- [[Play as the Yan'an Local Intellectual]]
- [[Play as the Villager]]
- [[Play as the Government Official]]You are **Jin Zhilin**, a professor from CAFA. You arrive at Xiaocheng, and the idea of turning this village into a UNESCO-listed site begins to take shape.
Do you...
- [[Embellish the village’s history for UNESCO appeal->Embellish]]
- [[Stay true to the local historical narrative->TrueHistory]]
You are **Feng Sanyun**, a woodcut artist from Yan'an. You dream of preserving cavehouse culture.
Do you...
- [[Collaborate with the Beijing team->Collaborate]]
- [[Maintain independent local efforts->Independent]]You are **Hao Xiuzhen**, a villager. Life is tough. Outsiders offer a new path.
Do you...
- [[Try the paper-cutting class->TryClass]]
- [[Stay with traditional farming->ResistChange]]You are a **Yanchuan county official**, balancing culture and control.
Do you...
- [[Let villagers lead the project->LetLocalsLead]]
- [[Build top-down infrastructure and control the narrative->TopDownBuild]]You create a powerful story blending myth, art, and heritage. Tourists are intrigued. UNESCO pays attention. But locals are uneasy.
Do you...
- [[Push for fast paper-cutting training to impress authorities->PushFast]]
- [[Build slower, mutual engagement with villagers->SlowBuild]]You share Xiaocheng as it is, winning villagers’ trust, but drawing less media and government attention.
Do you...
- [[Continue with low-key authenticity->RejectedVisionary]]
- [[Shift strategy to align with official narratives->CompromisedLegacy]]**Ending: The National Icon**
Xiaocheng is a national model. You’re honored, but villagers feel replaced.
[[Back to Start->Start]]**Ending: The Negotiated Village**
The project grows slowly, but becomes a real collaboration rooted in trust.
[[Back to Start->Start]]**Ending: The Rejected Visionary**
You stay honest but are eventually sidelined by the state narrative.
[[Back to Start->Start]]**Ending: The Compromised Legacy**
You gain influence, but the story becomes something you no longer recognize.
[[Back to Start->Start]]Beijing’s presence grows, and your voice fades.
Do you...
- [[Insist on including local religious and ritual customs->PushCulturalHonesty]]
- [[Compromise for harmony and visibility->CompromiseHarmony]]You preserve culture your way, but miss out on big support.
Do you...
- [[Stick with slow progress->KeeperCulture]]
- [[Return to Beijing’s platform later->LateAdopter]]**Ending: The Cultural Bridge**
You create a bold, inclusive version of heritage. Controversial but respected.
[[Back to Start->Start]]**Ending: The Erased Partner**
Your contribution gets absorbed into the dominant narrative.
[[Back to Start->Start]]**Ending: The Keeper of Culture**
Your work lives on locally. Quietly, meaningfully.
[[Back to Start->Start]]**Ending: The Late Adopter**
You return to the spotlight, but find it’s already taken.
[[Back to Start->Start]]
The training is strange at first, but becomes exciting.
Do you...
- [[Tell your own story through your paper-cuts->MakePersonal]]
- [[Stick to tourist-friendly patterns->TouristSafe]]**Ending: The Resistant Farmer**
The village changes, but you don’t. Your story remains untold.
[[Back to Start->Start]]**Ending: The Artist Emerges**
Your art gains meaning, and your voice is heard beyond the village.
[[Back to Start->Start]]**Ending: The Quiet Innovator**
You sell well, but your deeper stories remain hidden.
[[Back to Start->Start]]Things are messy but authentic.
Do you...
- [[Help elevate their voices nationally->SilentPartner]]
- [[Let them evolve on their own timeline->Observer]]
You build roads, hotels, museums. Tourism grows. Villagers are left behind.
Do you...
- [[Try to revise and listen to local needs->AdaptiveLeader]]
- [[Continue controlling the project tightly->NarrativeClash]]**Ending: The Silent Partner**
You remain in the background, but locals thrive thanks to your support.
[[Back to Start->Start]]**Ending: The Observer**
You stay neutral, and Xiaocheng grows unpredictably.
[[Back to Start->Start]]**Ending: The Adaptive Leader**
You shift course, blend state power and local spirit. A new model is born.
[[Back to Start->Start]]**Ending: The Narrative Clash**
You silence dissent, but the heart of Xiaocheng fades with it.
[[Back to Start->Start]]