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July 6, 2016

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Urbanites find happiness on countryside farms

By Wu Huixin | July 6, 2016, Wednesday | Print Edition

ZHEJIANG Province’s rapid urbanization has spurred an increased interest for agricultural tourism in recent years. As more and more people move to city, their nostalgia toward the idyllic village life grows, and farmhouses that provide tourists with homey accommodation and yummy food are popular with citizens.

Spending several days in a village to experience authentic country life is a new trend among white-collar workers, and Zhejiang government is cashing in on the trend and has developed agricultural tourism in line with the region’s natural strengths.

Jiande County began to encourage local farmers to grow strawberries in late 1980s. Since then, a series of strawberry varieties have been introduced in order to increase output and productivity.

In 2015, the output value was 170 million yuan (US$25.54 million) and strawberries had officially become a local specialty.

In order to attract visitors, a dozen villages are offering strawberry related tourism.

Visitors can pick strawberries on the farm and buy them at a low price. Homemade strawberry jam, wine and desserts are also available. Every product is labeled with a QR code that provides additional information on the product.

After having some fun in the strawberry field, tourists can savor tasty Jiande cuisine in farmhouses, which offer local poultry and organic vegetables. There are also hot springs.

In Beishan Village of Tiantai County, 34 netizens across the province have agreed to purchase the yield of 33,333 square meters of paddy fields last year, which brought the price to 5.5 yuan per kilogram, 2 yuan higher than the average.

The village committee upgraded infrastructures and facilities to attract more visitors. At the same time, designers from China Academy of Art are invited to give the village a facelift, which is expected to make the rustic village more appealing.

Along with development of agricultural tourism, some sweaty farm work is transformed into fashionable activities for city residents.

Planting rice is hard and labor-intensive, but it now attracts city youngsters who are curious about agriculture.

Last month, Dagangtou Town of Lishui County hosted a sowing festival that attracted more than 300 people who learned about the techniques of rice planting. The government announced that it would establish a local rice association to help farmers grow organic rice.

The best time for picking waxberries has also arrived. The crimson to dark purple waxberry fruit is popular in Shangyu County. When they are ripe in summer, the county turns into a wonderland for waxberry-lovers as the area is known for growing particularly big berries with a small pit. The county also holds a waxberry festival, where visitors can pick fruits from the orchards at a lower price than at the markets.

Shangyu County is situated between Hangzhou and Ningbo and lies across the Qiantang River from Shanghai. The environment and temperature there are suitable for an array of fruits. Crops include strawberries and cherries in spring, waxberries and grapes in summer, kiwis and peaches in autumn and persimmons in winter. Family-run guesthouses serve authentic local food and offer cozy accommodation.

Shangyu’s prosperous fruit industry also attracts university graduates who have set up their own business.

According to 2014 statistics, Zhejiang has 13 national-level agricultural tourism exemplary counties and 23 exemplary villages. Tourists reached 76.62 million in accumulation with annual revenue of 13.68 billion yuan.

Hangzhou


 

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