Traditional villages are living fossils of agrarian civilization, bearing the profound nostalgic memories of the Chinese nation. In recent years, Huai'an City has balanced conservation with development and heritage preservation with innovation. By implementing tailored "one village, one policy" measures, Huai'an has deeply explored local cultural roots, upgraded infrastructure, and promoted the integrated development of culture and tourism.

Huai'an has established a "one village, one archive" conservation catalog, placed all traditional villages at or above the provincial level under plaque-designated protection and clearly defined core conservation areas and construction control zones. Technical guidelines for the restoration of traditional buildings have been formulated, strictly adhering to the principle of "authentic restoration" (restore the old as old). Historical features such as blue bricks, grey tiles, masonry walls, and wooden timber frames are preserved to the greatest extent, while superficial, pseudo-antique "makeovers" are firmly rejected. In addition, efforts have been made simultaneously to address infrastructure shortcomings, upgrading supporting facilities for fire safety, sewage treatment, and roads, so that ancient villages can meet modern living needs while preserving their historical appearance.

Huai'an has innovated the development model of "traditional village conservation + culture-tourism integration," systematically uncovering and compiling intangible cultural heritage such as village history, folk customs, and traditional crafts, while establishing a transmission system for intangible cultural heritage. By building village history museums and intangible cultural heritage training centers and staging regular folk performances, ancient art forms such as Hongze Lake Fish Drum, Xianghuo Opera (literally Incense Ritual Opera), and peasant paintings have stepped out of history and integrated into daily life. Huai'an encourages the use of modern technologies such as holographic projection, AR reconstruction, and digital cultural creativity to innovate cultural expressions and develop distinctive regional cultural and creative products, as well as immersive experience projects. Efforts are also made to transform idle ancient dwellings into cultural exhibition halls, boutique B&Bs, and study-tour bases, effectively converting cultural value into economic value.