Liu Jianqun transforms Xujiadui Village into youth baseball hub

Turning Underutilized Land Into a Rural Baseball Diamond

The transformation began in 2014 when local officials sought solutions for slow economic growth tied strictly to traditional agriculture. Situated in the eastern sector of Pinghu, the village capitalized on its proximity to surrounding Japanese and Taiwanese enterprises to identify an unorthodox recreational niche: baseball. Officials targeted a low-lying, waterlogged, weed-choked vacant lot near the village committee building as the site for a sports facility.

Skepticism from residents surfaced immediately, with villagers questioning the viability of agricultural workers organizing a baseball program. To combat resistance, local leaders bypassed formal disputes in favor of direct engagement. Committees utilized morning liaison meetings and evening bench chats to address concerns and gather community feedback.

Lacking local precedents for rural sports infrastructure, organizers visited major metropolitan areas including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen to inspect facility management and design. They partnered with the China Academy of Art to draft layouts for the complex. By 2018, the village completed the nation’s first regulation-compliant youth rural baseball field through sustained community outreach and leadership intervention.

Expanding the Sports Economy and Tourism Chain

Village leadership recognized that athletic infrastructure required commercial integration to sustain long-term economic growth. The Xujiadui Village Economic Cooperation Cooperative established a dedicated rural development corporation to oversee operations. This corporate arm introduced kayaking, rural rice-cooking experiences, and tourism management overseen by professional operators.

Commercial strategies expanded to include seasonal markets and agritourism plots. The village collaborated with domestic manufacturers to link local suppliers with established baseball brands, producing custom apparel and cultural merchandise. This framework anchored a combined tourism and athletic model centered around the diamond.

Since its establishment, the facility has hosted over 60 events, including the PONY Youth Baseball League Asia-Pacific Championships, the National Youth Baseball Championships, and the “Strait Cup” Cross-Strait Collegiate Invitationals. These tournaments drew twelve commercial operations to the area, including the Wulu guesthouse, the Wangao Weiyi Exhibition Center, and Xinghuo Farm, establishing steady revenue streams through event hosting, tourism consumption, and agricultural picking.

Distributing Economic Gains Across Neighboring Communities

Community enrichment extended beyond raw economic expansion to focus on equitable dividend distribution. The village implemented an investment model merging corporate capital and resident assets, encouraging local families to contribute funds or property for revenue-sharing dividends. A localized workshop initiative provided 295 employment positions geared toward older laborers, yielding average annual personal income increases exceeding 10,000 yuan.

Regional cooperation also shaped the project’s later phases. The village partnered with eleven adjacent villages to construct twenty shared assets, including agricultural greenhouses and dock projects. The shared greenhouse initiative alone generates annual returns ranging between 200,000 and 700,000 yuan for participating administrative villages.

Cultural Shift and Athletic Development in Local Schools

Economic indicators were matched by cultural changes within the region. The Xujiadui Primary School established the “Little Dragon” baseball team from scratch, which secured the PONY Youth Baseball League Asia-Pacific Championship title and earned a berth in international competition. Across Lindai Town, more than ten distinct farmer-led baseball and softball squads have emerged, reflecting a broader demographic shift driven by athletic investment.