As more people arrived in Longtan, Lin reopened the elementary school and invited his friends and qualified new inhabitants to teach.

Zeng's wife now teaches Chinese in the school, and Gao Rongrong, a former freelance translator in Shanghai and a student of Lin, teaches English.

"I didn't hesitate to come here when Lin called," said Gao, who is also a cartoonist. "It's so beautiful and I like the old homes. It's like walking in history."

Gao created a series of cartoons themed around a girl walking through the traditional village. In one, a smiling girl in a pink dress leans against a worn-out stone wall beside a traditional home, poking her head out as if playing hide-and-seek.

The cartoons received 500,000 views on Sina Weibo alone.

"I am happy that people have gotten to know the village and its beauty through my work," Gao said. "I'll keep creating."

Though away from the city, Gao said she finds the village "full of energy". Musicians gather regularly in the bar to perform live music.

"Many elderly villagers come to watch their performances," Chen said.

"I think they feel less lonely here than staying at home in the evening."

Chen's son, Chen Zhongye, a 24-year-old graphic designer working in the provincial capital of Fuzhou, is considering relocating to Longtan after seeing all the changes in the village.

"Sometimes I stay up late to watch videos about our village that my father shares in our group chat," he said, referring to the village's WeChat group of 404 people.

"Now, with so many artists coming, more possibilities and opportunities will come."