A New Model for Health-Oriented Rural Urbanism
Located approximately 30 kilometres from Chengdu’s city centre and 5 kilometres from the core of Tianfu New District, the Chengdu Tianfu Life and Health Park sits at a rare transitional zone between city and countryside. Surrounded by major urban functions, including Chengdu’s CBD, Biomedical Innovation Parks, and High-tech Research Zone, the site presents a unique opportunity to reimagine rural revitalisation at the urban fringe. The project explores the concept of being “hidden in the city yet rooted in nature”, offering a pastoral retreat within a rapidly urbanising landscape. It seeks to balance seclusion with accessibility, tradition with innovation, and ecological restoration with economic vitality.
Design Vision and Methodology
Tianfu Healing Oasis pioneers an environment integrating nature and culture, merging traditional Sichuan Linpan rural settlement patterns with contemporary healthy-living concepts. Guided by a 1-kilometre Health & Wellness Grid that enhances walkability and accessibility, the plan centers on an “ecology-culture-wellbeing” framework, which anchors the project’s spatial and functional organisation. At its heart lies a diversified health & wellness economy combining medical aesthetics, tourism, agriculture, and culture, positioning the park as a leading model of sustainable, health-driven rural urbanism in China and beyond.
Planning Approach and Key Strategies
The master plan adopts a people-centred and health-oriented approach, guided by four key strategies:
1. Shaped by Nature
Building on the site’s ecological blue–green framework, the design embeds multifunctional Linpan communities within a vibrant rural health network. Traditional settlements are revitalised through ecological restoration and adaptive reuse, creating spaces that support agritourism, cultural living, and wellness, all while preserving their historical character and traditions.
2. Polished by Time
The plan responds to the diverse needs of wellness tourists, preventive care seekers, medical professionals, local residents, and ageing populations. By anticipating for both present and future needs, it creates inclusive, accessible spaces that celebrate nostalgia, encourage healthy lifestyles, and foster enduring community life.
3. Sustained by Wellness
Health & Wellness is envisioned as a lifelong way of living rather than a standalone service. Five interlinked functional zones – the Medical Aesthetics Core, Wellness and Healing Zone, Agri-Culture Experience Zone, Dynamic Recreation Zone, and Comprehensive Healthcare Zone – provide inclusive opportunities for work, wellness, and recreation across generations, helping to counter rural ageing and depopulation and instead build economic resilience.
4. Nurtured by Design
Design principles emphasise connectivity, cultural continuity, and user comfort. Drawing inspiration from Sichuan’s vernacular architecture, the plan integrates walking trails, shared mobility routes, and therapeutic landscapes. Adaptive reuse of traditional structures and materials ensures that cultural memory remains embedded within modern design expressions.
Implementation and Collaboration
Two key frameworks underpin the plan’s successful delivery:
- Planning for All Ages, which embeds age-friendly design and inclusive infrastructure throughout the development.
- Collaborative Stakeholder Framework, aligning public, private, and community interests for coordinated governance, investment, and long-term management.
Outcome and Impact
The Chengdu Tianfu Life and Health Park exemplifies MORROW’s commitment to creating cities that are not only resilient and sustainable, but also deeply rooted in their local ecology and culture. Through its integration of healthcare, ecology, and cultural heritage, the project redefines rural revitalisation as a model for wellness-centred living – one that is adaptable, inclusive, and replicable for future generations.