Agriculture Ambles into Urban Life

　　The capital’s agriculture carnival attracts a multitude of city dwellers

　　The ongoing Second Beijing Agriculture Carnival (BJAC)， which kicked off in Beijing’s suburban Changping District on March 15， has attracted numerous tourists. During the weekend days of March 22-23 alone， the number of visitors hit 120，000.

　　“The carnival is great！ I love the orchid venue best. All kinds of orchids are in full bloom and form a fabulous scene in the spring. We can learn much agricultural knowledge while having fun，” said Feng Yan， a mother of a two-year-old daughter.

　　“My daughter loves it here， too. There are all kinds of vegetables， such as pumpkins， eggplants and loofahs. All of them are displayed in lovely ways. She is very excited to see them，” Feng said.

　　Bearing the slogan of “creative agriculture for a better life，” the BJAC will last until May 4.

　　“The carnival aims to create an opportunity for the capital city’s residents to learn about agricultural technology， experience farming culture and take part in the joys of farming activities，” said Su Weidong， Changping District deputy chief and organizer of the carnival.

　　“Agriculture has multiple functions. It not only concerns agricultural production， but can also provide recreation and education， as well as contribute to a healthier ecological environment，” said Liu Zhengxiong， manager of the Planning and Construction Department of the carnival.

　　Last year’s carnival attracted more than 1 million visitors and proved a big success. Compared to last year’s event， a wider variety of fruits and vegetables will be available to visitors this year， said Liu.

　　With more than 60 agricultural technologies being demonstrated， about 700 quality farm products on display and more than 70 agricultural experience projects， visitors are provided with a glimpse inside the colorful world of agriculture.

　　It consists of an agritourism exhibition， an agricultural art experience zone， a strawberry planting experience zone， a farming experience park， a leisure park and a theme park.

　　Joy of participation

　　Walking through the various theme venues， visitors can experience being a farmer by joining in various farming activities.

　　Attired in protective cloaks， Lu Xiao and her 6-year-old daughter， Wei Luxi， closely watched the whole process of bee’s pollination. With the help of staff in the bees’ venue， the little girl made a bar of honey soap by herself.

　　“I love the pink color and I love kittens， so I made a pink kitten-shaped soap，” the girl said proudly. “Now I know how the bee families live together and do different jobs. It’s amazing！”

　　If the visitors have illnesses such as headache， insomnia， and rheumatism， they can receive bee sting therapy in the venue. In the bees’ venue， visitors can have all kinds of bee-related experiences. For instance， they can look for the queen bee in a hive， see if they can tell the difference between honey， propolis and wax， and make their own honey soap in whatever shape or color they desire.

　　Also， if visitors want to know what being a farmer is like， they can go to the farming experience park. There are 22 greenhouses especially designed to give visitors a taste of the planting experience. Visitors can experience pollinating a strawberry plant and harvest carrots. According to staff， their farming methods are totally green as chemical fertilizers are not used. Rich in sugar， these carrots taste much sweeter. The largest can grow to half a meter long and weigh 8 kilograms.

　　While experiencing the joys of harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables， the visitors， along with their children， can participate in farming activities.

　　What tools do farmers use from sowing seeds to harvesting？ How does a spinning wheel work？ How do you make soya bean milk and toufu？ All these questions and more can be answered in the park. Various types of farm tools are on display. Visitors can practice farming activities， including working on the water-mill wheel， and making soya bean milk and toufu.

　　“This is great fun， especially for those of us who live in the city. Every day， our lives are enveloped by steel and cement. This carnival is a great chance to experience the fun of farming，” said Lu.

　　“Another reason for the popularity of the carnival is its visual design. It combines agricultural elements and art， creating singular displays of melons， vegetables， orchids， strawberries， cereals， and fungi，” said Liu.

　　The orchid venue is a typical example. “I like the orchid venue very much，” she said. “The flowers are arranged in different patterns up and down the miniature mountain， along the artificial river， and in the courtyard of the recreated farmhouse. It’s like a sea of orchids with white， pink and purple flowers.”

　　Using the orchid as a theme， the venue contains more than 100 orchid species. They are arranged in the shape of waterfalls， tunnels， dancing peacocks and so on， presenting the visitors with fabulous tableaus.

　　Strawberry feast

　　The strawberry planting experience zone is a focal part of this carnival. It vividly displays multiple species of strawberries in structures， such as the strawberry tunnel and strawberry forest， and various planting methods involving the use of new types of pots.

　　“Both my daughter and I love strawberries. Every spring we come to Changping District and pick the fresh fruit in the fields.” Lu said the fresh strawberries taste much better than those sold in the supermarket.

　　Every year during the strawberry season (from October to May of the next year)， urbanites flock to the strawberry farms to pick fruit in the greenhouses.

　　Indeed， Changping District has long been famous for its high-quality strawberries， and the fruit has already become synonymous with the district.

　　According to local government， there are more than 10，000 strawberry greenhouses in the district， each of which can generate an income of 30，000 yuan ($4，836) to 40，000 yuan ($6，448) every year. Currently， there are more than 3，500 local families who are growing strawberries.

　　Xing Shuying， who is in her 50s， is one of the strawberry farmers. Living in the Xiying Village of Changping， she started to plant strawberries in 2007， when the local government launched an aid-to-the-poor project.

　　The couple built two greenhouses， each of which measures 100 meters long and 9 meters wide.

　　“They cost us 110，000 yuan ($17，732)， 20，000 yuan ($3，224) of which was reimbursed by the government. It was good，” said Xing. “After the greenhouses were built， the government again helped us by providing a training course， having experts teach us the strawberry planting technologies.”

　　She said the income was very welcome. “For local farmers my age， it is difficult to find a job and work in an urban area，” said Xing. “The strawberry planting enables us to stay at home and enjoy a comfortable income.”

　　By Yu Yan