This paper critically examines the dynamic interaction between cultural heritage policies and the rural revitalisation strategy in China. Scrutinising the governance of heritage over the past four decades illustrates how Chinese authorities and experts have established local norms and regulations to safeguard the heritage landscape, occasionally deviating from international programs or values. Initially designed for national, provincial and local urban areas, cultural heritage policies began focusing on the countryside in the early 2000s to preserve traditional villages as cultural relics. Furthermore, the paper explores how cultural heritage and rural revitalisation policies contribute to a broader societal initiative to nurture and shape new citizens and urban lifestyles. Despite rural China's cultural identity being perceived as a ‘harmonious model,’ it is still associated with backwardness, prompting a dual challenge of modernisation and development while preserving the valuable past. By drawing upon the Principles regarding rural landscapes as heritage (ICOMOS 2017) and subsequently implementing the Rural Revitalisation Strategy (2018), China underwent an anthropological shift, now perceiving traditional village projects as constructed environments and living cultural entities. Through specific case studies, the paper will explore if these initiatives effectively bridge the urban-rural gap by directing urban resources to catalyse rural development, encompassing agriculture, rural tourism, and eco-museums. It will also assess whether retaining the local population on-site and preserving heritage are central objectives of these projects.