Agricultural technology realizes rural vitalization in Hongshan subdistrict

Rapeseed flowers blossom in front of villagers' homes in Dongtangjie village in Hongshan subdistrict in March. CHINA DAILY

Hongshan subdistrict in the Jiangsu city of Wuxi has made remarkable progress in rural vitalization by improving people's living conditions and using smart agriculture.

Over the past three years, Hongshan has built 2,216 apartments for rural residents. In addition, some villages launched housing renovation projects or built new houses.

"I was extremely excited when I heard my family could leave the shabby bungalow built in the 1980s and move into a Chinese-style villa," said Qian Zhirong, a 53-year-old from Qifangqiao village.

"I love the new house for its ample space and lights. My elderly parents can now spend their old age in comfort," Qian added.

Many villages' environment was enhanced by demolishing illegal buildings, paving new roads and planting more trees.

Official data showed Hongshan subdistrict had shut down 600 polluting businesses between 2016-20 and helped 185 enterprises achieve green transformation.

A villager surnamed Zhang said he was impressed by changes that had taken place in recent years. "The area used to be disorderly and messy but now you can see wide roads, neat houses and lush lawns," Zhang said.

In July, the city's first intelligent garbage monitoring system was launched in Hongshan.

All dump sites in the region are under 24-hour surveillance. The system will give a reminder automatically via a loudspeaker if people try to break the rules, said officials from the subdistrict's environmental protection department.

It not only eases the workload of sanitation workers but makes people more environmentally conscious, contributing to a livable and sustainable city, officials said.

In addition, local authorities have established an array of supporting facilities such as community healthcare stations and community libraries to ensure residents' well-being.

At the Hongtaiyuan No 1 community, residents can participate in multiple activities and courses at night in the community administrative service center.

The center should be a space for all residents, not just a workplace, said a representative from the neighborhood committee.

Smart agriculture

Visitors to Majiali Farm in Hongshan might now be surprised by what they see: driverless machinery working the fields.

The farm is a demonstration project of smart agriculture, which features unmanned tractors, rice transplanters and plant protection machines, according to its manager.

Farmers can control these driverless machines via a smart agriculture platform, which maps out an optimal route based on the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, local officials said.

The project is part of efforts by Hongshan in recent years to promote the agricultural sector's digital transformation.

Local farmers entice tourists with their specialty grapes at the end of July. CHINA DAILY

With advanced technologies such as cloud computing and big data, Hongshan, famous for its rice and grapes, has established numerous fields and orchards driven by the internet of things.

Orchard owner Xu Weifa said his vineyard is equipped with a micro-weather station and several digital cameras to detect plant growth and record climate indicators involving temperature, moisture and light.

"I can check all these data via a smartphone app and it will inform me automatically if there are abnormalities," Xu said.

Xu is also satisfied with the automatic irrigation system in the vineyard, which enable growers to better control the amount of water and fertilizer used.

The irrigator can be controlled remotely, Xu said, adding that it greatly improves efficiency and reduces labor costs.

Hongshan subdistrict has also committed itself to rural tourism with the aim of raising farmers' revenue.

Nearby Dafangqiao was honored as a national beautiful leisure village in August, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Additionally, Qifangqiao was inscribed on the provincial list of key villages for rural tourism in 2020.