HappyPower × Laoshicun: A Case Study

1. HappyPower and Laoshicun

HappyPower: Where Energy Meets Play

HappyPower is an innovative brand that merges energy technology with social play. It transforms every moment of play into green power, turning playgrounds into decentralized energy stations and building an Internet of Energy where everyone can participate in a behavior-driven energy economy.

By creating interactive energy-generating play equipment, HappyPower enables people to generate electricity, purify the air, and light up the city—all through climbing, jumping, and spinning—building a sustainable energy ecosystem that everyone can join.

We design eco-friendly, highly interactive cultural experience spaces for commercial districts and rural tourism destinations, enhancing individual and community engagement while achieving both business efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Laoshicun:

Laoshicun is located in Hainan Province and is recognized as one of the region’s key ecological development villages. Supported by China’s National Ecological Fund, the village is currently undergoing a rural revitalization transformation. With around 200 permanent households, Laoshicun boasts rich natural resources and cultural heritage. It is actively exploring education-based tourism and cultural tourism industries to stimulate local economic growth, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and China’s rural revitalization strategy.

The village is home to 750 mu (approx. 123 acres) of nationally protected ancient salt field heritage and several endangered tamarind trees, offering abundant resources for ecological and educational tourism. However, Laoshicun has not yet formed a complete industrial chain, lacking effective marketing highlights and capacity to sustain related industries—leaving valuable resources visible but underutilized.

The ancient salt fields have received 7 million RMB in national ecological funding, reflecting their recognized national value and development potential. The local community places high importance on ecological conservation and sustainable growth, and urgently needs pollution-free, zero-waste solutions to address industrial hollowing and achieve meaningful ecological empowerment and shared green prosperity.

In this context, the “HappyPower” project offers a sustainable solution that combines low-carbon interaction, green energy, and co-creative experiences—introducing interactive installations and environmental education into the heart of Laoshicun’s transformation.

2. Achievements to Date

1. Gaining Global Recognition

• Selected to present the HappyPower initiative at the UN Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development, receiving international expert endorsement

• Recognized as part of the "Arrow Change Makers" initiative

• Project founder Becca Liu serves as a Youth Leader, National Coordinator, and East Asia Regional Coordinator for the UN APFSD Youth Forum, advocating for the concept of a Behavioral Energy Economy and Sustainable Play Spaces—policy recommendations that have since been incorporated into national and regional sustainability agendas

2. Activating Communities with Green Energy

• Raised 80,000 RMB in just two weeks to build China’s first modular eco-playground, benefiting over 5,000 local residents

• The “Playground without Walls” became a highlight of the 3rd No-Wall Children's Art Festival, engaging over 50 artists and activists, and gaining widespread public attention

3. Setting New Benchmarks for a Green Future

• Withstood a Category 17 Typhoon without damage; after the storm, the playground generated electricity for lighting and charging, addressing urgent community energy needs

• Delivered a keynote at the Global Climate Influence Innovation Conference, showcasing HappyPower’s green innovation solutions

• The world’s first sustainable playground integrating local salt heritage, Sea Salt Energy Park, will officially open in May 2025, offering a replicable model that meets community needs and boosts the local green economy

3. Introduction to the HappyPower Playground in Laoshi Village

The Laoshi Village Project is centered around the vision of a “Future Village”, built on the concept of a Behavioral Energy Economy, and aims to create the world’s first culturally integrated sustainable play environment.

By transforming traditional folk activities—such as dragon boat racing and tree climbing—into sources of clean energy through interactive play equipment, the project fuses community engagement with renewable energy generation, achieving both carbon neutrality and shared community benefit.

Under the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this project explores the community-based application of renewable energy, while integrating cultural heritage preservation, ecological restoration, and local economic development—pioneering a new model for sustainable rural revitalization.

Laoshi Village Sea Salt Playground — The World’s First Sustainable Playground Inspired by Ancient Salt Culture

By creatively integrating the traditional salt-making process into fun and functional play installations, the Sea Salt Playground offers an immersive way for people to experience ancient salt culture through play. The “joyful energy” generated from these activities is transformed into clean, reusable energy for the local community, making salt production more accessible and engaging.

This playful approach not only revitalizes cultural heritage but also provides a dopamine-filled, innovative path toward ecological civilization and sustainable rural development.

Laoshi Village Public Playground — Where Local Culture Meets the Energy of the Future

Inspired by traditional folk practices like dragon boat racing, we’ve created an interactive playground that serves both as a space for cultural training and everyday play. Every climb and every run is converted into clean electricity, helping power the local community.

Centered around the village’s protected tamarind trees, we designed a special climbing structure that allows people to engage with nature without harming it — reviving the generational tradition of tree climbing. Here, tradition meets innovation, and humans reconnect with the natural world in a symbiotic way.

4. ESG Value and Localized Business Empowerment

(1) ESG Impact: Driving Sustainability through Environment (E), Social (S), and Governance (G)

Environmental Impact (E):

The Laoshi Village project leverages play-generated clean energy technology to convert everyday community activities into renewable power, achieving carbon reduction and energy circularity. Built with recyclable materials, the modular playground structures are easily disassembled and reassembled, ensuring zero pollution, zero waste, and enhancing ecological restoration and green infrastructure capacity.

Social Impact (S):

Rooted in a community co-creation approach, the project engages villagers, youth, and local artisans in the design, construction, and operation of the playground facilities. This deepens community participation and fosters a strong sense of belonging, while encouraging intergenerational dialogue and cultural transmission. The “play-to-learn” model further promotes environmental education, cultural identity, and community revitalization, injecting new momentum into urban-rural integration.

Governance Impact (G):

The project introduces a “Behavioral Energy Economy” model, encouraging villagers to generate green value through everyday activities like exercise and play. By experimenting with mechanisms such as green behavior credits and a shared energy ledger, the project fosters a transition in rural governance from passive participation to active co-management, data transparency, and shared benefits — paving the way for long-term sustainable governance.

(2) Business Model Empowerment and Sustainable Development Pathways

1. Creating a New Revenue Structure Combining Education and Play

   · The playground can serve as a permanent base for local educational tours, partnering with schools and study programs to offer paid experiential learning and energy science education.

   · Develop themed cultural products combining Sea Salt Heritage + Interactive Energy, such as energy-generating toys, eco-friendly bags, and power-themed badges, enabling IP commercialization.

2. Introducing the “Energy Economy” Mechanism to Revitalize Local Economies

   · Electricity generated by play equipment can be used to power community utilities (e.g., lighting, charging stations), or converted into a credit system for rewards, increasing resident engagement.

   · Explore co-run “Energy Kiosks” with local villagers, selling green drinks, farm products, and souvenirs — creating low-barrier entrepreneurship and additional income opportunities.

3. Leveraging Policy and Social Capital to Build a Replicable Model

   · Leverage the existing 7-million-yuan National Ecological Fund to attract further ESG funding, culture-tourism partnerships, and rural revitalization projects, establishing a sustainable co-ownership and operation model.

   · The project serves as a demonstration for historical villages and ecological zones across China, and can be rapidly scaled to other rural areas with cultural assets but underdeveloped industries.

5. Project Overview

Phases and Timeline:

Phase I of the Laoshipu Village Project — the “Salt Field Playground” — has been completed and is currently in pilot operation. Phases II and III are scheduled to commence in June and be completed before July this year.

Expected Outcomes:

• Playground-powered devices are expected to handle over 85% of brine transportation required in each traditional salt-making cycle.

• Annual growth in cultural tourism and educational tour attendance is projected to exceed 20%.

• Village residents’ average annual income is expected to increase by over 15%, driven by visitor services, craft sales, and guided tours.

• The project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 1 ton per year, equivalent to cutting the carbon footprint of a car driving 5,000 kilometers.

• The number of local jobs in agriculture, culture, and tourism-related sectors is projected to increase by 20%.

Sustainable Operation Mechanism and Local Partnership Model (Preliminary Concept)

To ensure the long-term sustainability of the Happy Power project in Laoshipu Village, we propose the following preliminary local partnership mechanism:

1. Daily Operations

The project will establish a “Playground Operations Team” jointly managed by the Happy Power team and the village collective. This team will oversee daily operations, safety, equipment maintenance, and community events.

Team members may include local youth, returnees, and cultural-tourism coordinators, who will receive training and be rewarded with “Energy Points” and profit-sharing dividends.

2. Partnership & Revenue Model

Upholding the principle of co-construction, co-governance, and shared benefits, villagers can become project partners by contributing land, labor, skills, or creative ideas rooted in local culture.

A micro-partnership enterprise or cooperative may be established in the future to enable profit-sharing from cultural product sales, energy-generated advertising space, and other commercial externalities.

In addition, Energy Points generated from gameplay and participation can be converted into:

• Redeemable value for villagers, such as access to equipment, cultural products, or holiday benefits

• Green consumption records for visitors, contributing to carbon credit mechanisms

3. Equipment Maintenance & Content Renewal

All playground modules will be designed using detachable, replaceable, and recyclable materials. Routine maintenance will be handled by the local operations team, while Happy Power will provide technical support and periodic inspections.

Content updates and new experiences will be co-created based on community feedback and local festivals, continually energizing participation and sustaining engagement.

Risk Management and Mitigation Measures (Preliminary Plan)

In advancing the project, we anticipate potential risks and propose the following initial mitigation strategies:

1. Risk of Facility Underuse

   • Multi-functional Design: All play installations will integrate functions such as energy generation, lighting, cultural displays, and social interaction, ensuring continuous community value even outside peak usage hours.

   • Event Activation Mechanism: At least one monthly “Energy Market” or “Play Festival” will be initiated by villagers, schools, or tourists to boost engagement.

   • Co-Management Partnerships: Agreements with schools, homestays, and traditional craft groups will ensure regular educational tours and family activities, increasing utilization.

     
     

2. Declining Community Participation

   • Energy Points System: Villagers earn Energy Points through regular participation, which can be redeemed for income, goods, or services, motivating sustained involvement.

   • Sense of Co-Creation and Ownership: Villagers can co-name and co-design installations, building cultural identity and a sense of “spiritual shareholding.”

   • Flexible Revenue Models: Introduce dividend-sharing, energy advertising income, and cultural product derivatives to increase engagement and benefits.

3. Seasonal Usage Fluctuations

   • Differentiated Operations: Peak seasons will emphasize tourism services and exhibitions, while off-seasons will focus on local use, such as after-school activities and festive pop-ups.

   • Seasonal Content Development: Game content and products will be updated based on local festivals and seasons, supported by targeted online campaigns.

     
     

4. Community Conflict or Land Use Disputes

   • Pre-Construction Consultation: Hold a “Village Co-Creation Roundtable” to gather feedback and achieve consensus on site selection before implementation.

   • Modular & Flexible Setup: Installations will be mobile and detachable to adapt to changes in land use and spatial needs.

   • Dispute Resolution Mechanism: A rapid mediation system involving the village committee and local working groups will be established to resolve land and management conflicts through dialogue and consensus.

     
     

5. Natural Disasters (e.g. Typhoons)

   • The modular design enables rapid dismantling and centralized protection during disaster warnings. Core components are waterproof and corrosion-resistant. Post-disaster, a restoration and content refresh protocol ensures quick resumption of operations.

6. Voices from the Village: True Stories from the Ground

1. A Child’s Recognition and Reunion

During our initial field research, we met a group of children who often played together. They enthusiastically taught us clapping games, tag, and shared their dreams of an ideal playground.

Months later, while installing the Salt Field Playground, a familiar voice made us turn around. One of the girls from our earlier visit recognized us and excitedly pulled her family over to help with the construction.

From “voicing a dream” to “building it by hand,” her smile reminded us: this playground had quietly become something that truly belonged to them.

2. The Story of the Signboard

During the trial operation of the playground, we needed to put up a safety sign. Unexpectedly, the wooden board for the sign was voluntarily provided by a villager, and the first version of the text was written by the granddaughter of the village’s school principal.

Later, the principal himself joined. Known as the village’s “man of letters,” he’s the one who writes Spring Festival couplets for everyone every year.

That day, as he picked up the brush to write, everyone gathered around—like watching a ritual both solemn and deeply personal.

It wasn’t just a signboard; it became a declaration that said: “This is our playground.”