Amid the crisp autumn air, the 2024 Century Pastoral Festival opened in the “Paddy CBD” of Qianjiang Century City on November 13. In Yingfeng Subdistrict of Qiantang Century City, row upon row of skyscrapers, trains traversing the landscape, and the oscillating waves of rice together paint an amazing tableau where agriculture and modern urbanity coexist in harmony.

At the event, several drones flew over the rice fields, demonstrating their high precision and efficiency in farming operations. The horns of gigantic combine harvesters signaled the beginning of the harvest season for 3,708 mu (247.2 hectares) of rice in the “Paddy CBD.” The marketplace along the edges of the fields displays local agricultural products. A variety of activities such as a straw maze, rice themed space, and straw art offer the visitors a highly immersive experience.

In the first half of this year, the “Paddy CBD” of Qiantang Century City went viral on the Internet and was hailed by netizens as a real-life shining example of the “four modernization goals.” In the late autumn when rice is harvested, the first Century Pastoral Festival in the “Paddy CBD” of Qianjiang Century City stands as another example of urban pastoral that showcases local agricultural production, ecological progress, and farming culture.

It is learned that since 2020, Qianjiang Century City has taken a holistic approach to the  consolidation and contiguous transformation of basic farmland. By the end of 2021, construction of farmland infrastructure had been completed, and a grain functional zone with an area of hundreds of hectares had been built. Later, Hangzhou Xiaoshan Agriculture Production Material Co., Ltd. was entrusted to carry out the “central field management and beautiful countryside” initiative. Multiple measures such as soil improvement and specialized, standard, and scaled production of grain and oil crops have been implemented to improve the ecological quality and productivity of the farmland.

At present, the “Paddy CBD” covers a total area of 4,567 mu (304.47 hectares). In the spring, wheat yields exceed 300 kilograms per mu, and late rice yields surpass 600 kilograms per mu. Fully mechanized operations have been implemented throughout the production process in the “Paddy CBD,” and modern technological means such as using drones for seeding, fertilization, and pesticide application significantly increases the agricultural efficiency. Hangzhou Xiaoshan Agriculture Production Material Co., Ltd. collaborates closely with Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xianghu Lab, and other research institutes to carry out a series of agricultural research and demonstration projects in the “Paddy CBD,” including the cultivation of flax, soybeans, and colorful rapeseed varieties. These projects not only make the landscapes more beautiful, but also give a strong impetus to agricultural development through scientific and technological innovation.

“Qianjiang Century City is a vibrant young community, with numerous young people working and living in the CBD. Besides, many local residents have moved from rural areas to modern residential skyscrapers over the past two to three decades,” said Ke Jingyi, a staff member of the Qianjiang Century City Management Committee’s bureau of landscaping. “The ‘Paddy CBD’ serves as a model of integrated urban-rural development, allowing new and long-time residents to enjoy the pastoral scenery in the central area of the city. It is also a unique hallmark in the process of city development, as it ingeniously connects the urban and rural areas and is an important piece that links the past and the future.”