Man turns barren farmland into orchard

By Shen Yuan, Yichang International Communication Studio

Nanhe Village in Yichang, once barren farmland, is tasting a rich, fruity harvest. Chen Qianjiao, who decided to return to his hometown six years ago, has brought the taste of pears into the lives of many of his fellow villagers.


For more than fifteen years, Chen, now 45, sold chemicals. In 2017, he visited his hometown during Chinese New Year and saw the abandoned farmland. Most young men had left the village, leaving only elderly unable to farm. Chen decided to return and start a business there.

Chen spent a month in the village, studying the market. An expert from the Agricultural Sciences Academy advised him to consider factors like soil and climate. The village sits at an altitude of over 500 meters and has significant day-night temperature differences. As such, it was an area suitable for fruit cultivation.

Chen decided to plant pears. In the spring of 2019, he leased 216 mu (more than 14 hectares) of land to plant pear seedlings.


Then he paid the villagers to help with weeding and fertilizing.

70-year-old Bian Yingwei leased Chen 6 mu (0.4 hectares) of land. Bian and his wife took on weeding and fertilizing tasks in the pear orchard, resulting in an annual income of over 20,000 yuan (US$2750).

Pear trees do not produce fruit in the year following their planting. However, in July 2023, the pear orchard finally yielded a total of 105,000 kilograms of fruit.


Chen decided to use e-commerce to sell the pears.

During his live broadcasts, Chen showcased the process, while villagers took turns presenting their pears. These pears have now been distributed to over ten provinces, generating millions in revenue.


A harvest of 175,000 kilograms of pears is projected for next year, filling the village with hope and excitement.

Three Gorges Evening's Zhang Muze & Kuang Baixue contributed the original Chinese story for this report.

Photo by Three Gorges Evening.