Yuanli Market was destroyed by a mysterious fire in September 2018. With the same goal in mind, Groundzero and Hi Home used different methods to initiate dialogues between historical sites and cultural preservation. Traveling to various controversial heritage architectures with the Burn Down Cake Project, Groundzero sells sponge cakes shaped like the architectures to encourage dialogue with locals, hoping to inspire contemplation towards cultural preservation.

After focusing on resistance, local Yuanli youth group Hi Home took a detour from “resistance” to “return,” returning to their homeland and contributing their skills to locals. This project gathers art professionals, while the historical background of Yuanli Market, deliberative workshops, and public hearings lead to participatory performance The Good Man of Yuanli. The work explores the definition of a “good man” and who the decision-makers are, reflecting the future of the market and the challenges facing towns and rural areas.