Photo: Xu Yaqi
By Luo Tianqin
Next to the Grand Canal and surrounded by countless lotus ponds, lies a place that beautifully showcases the coexistence of tradition and modernity: Xinyu Village. On July 16th, this lovely village welcomed a group of international students from Hangzhou Dianzi University. These students, who were eager to learn more about ecological significance, innovative agricultural practices, and rural entrepreneurship, experienced the extraordinary lotus ponds, the innovative “Uncle Li’s Farm” and “Grannies’ Factory,” and enjoyed delicious coffee from Wheat Field Coffee during a special “country walk”.
“Green lotus leaves outspread as far as the boundless sky; Pink lotus blossoms take from sunshine a new dye.” This famous Chinese poem beautifully describes the lotus, and an international student from Bangladesh named Sawan used this line to praise the lotus ponds at Xinyu Village. The lotus ponds not only add special scenery to the village but also represent a significant step towards building a sustainable ecological agriculture environment. Twenty years ago, fish farming was the primary source of income for the Village, but it was damaging the environment. Today, a new model at “Uncle Li’s Farm” featuring the lotus-turtle polyculture is changing everything by cultivating softshell turtles and lotus together, resulting in a fully self-sustained system.
The large area of lotus ponds at Xinyu Village have also led to the creation of a trendy product: fruit lotus seeds. These lotus seeds are processed by local retired “grannies.” As the international students entered the “Grannies’ Factory,” they raised many interesting questions, including: “Where did these lotus seeds come from?” “How many hours per day do these grannies need to work?” and “Where can we purchase the products?” ,Ms. Zhong who is 76 years old, answered each question in detail while skillfully working and inviting the students to taste the fresh lotus seeds.
Khadjia IDaissa, an international student from Morocco, gave high praise to both the product and the entire manufacturing process. Although it was her first time tasting lotus seeds, she loved their sweet and refreshing texture and could not wait to buy them online. Her friend Mohamed Amine Akhayat, also from Morocco, shared his thoughts on the “Grannies’ Factory.” “Integrating businesses and creating job opportunities based on cultivation and agriculture is really interesting for these retired grannies because it gives them an income source and allows them to socialize with people of similar age in a comfortable environment. Otherwise, they would be sitting at home doing nothing,” said he.
“While we are thinking about how to manage and protect the environment, we also see more possibilities and hopes for sustainable development at Xinyu Village,” said Ilkhombek Rajabov from Uzbekistan.