North China's Shanxi province currently boasts 111 nationally recognized historic and cultural towns and villages, the most in China. Additionally, the province is home to 619 traditional Chinese villages, ranking fifth nationwide.

Shanxi holds the distinction of having the most, best-preserved, and most highly concentrated historic and cultural towns and villages in the northern Han Chinese region. In recent years, the province has prioritized protection and utilization, emphasizing the active use of these sites to promote their preservation.

Shanxi has conducted multiple field surveys to establish a protection registry that includes 111 historic and cultural towns and villages, 619 traditional villages, 1,736 registered villages, and 3,500 surveyed villages. The province has also developed a pool of provincial experts to provide scientific guidance for preservation efforts.

The funding mechanism for preservation in Shanxi is diversified, combining central support, provincial subsidies, municipal and county investments, and social participation. Since 2020, the province has secured 430 million yuan ($58.91 million) in central funds and 357 million yuan in provincial funds to support large-scale protection and utilization projects for traditional villages.

Furthermore, the province is making use of its abundant traditional villages to develop industries such as ancient fortress wellness, rural experiences, and ecological tourism, creating unique demonstration zones for traditional village clusters.

Looking ahead, Shanxi plans to continue applying for national demonstration counties and announcing provincial pilot counties. These efforts aim to guide pilot counties in integrating traditional villages with cultural tourism and modern agriculture, exploring the "Shanxi model" for large-scale protection and utilization.