The Harvest: This Week in Rural China – Dispatch No. 9 (14 February 2025)
Sanqi’s resurgence, MARA’s 2025 goals, ancient bird discovery, green energy in Ningxia, tug-of-war propaganda, and Lanzhou’s booming rose industry.
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Harvest.
In this dispatch:
Sanqi’s Viral Resurgence in Wenshan: The traditional herb Panax notoginseng gains popularity after trending on Chinese social media.
MARA’s 2025 Agricultural Goals: Plans for rural revitalisation, green agriculture, and grassroots-driven development.
Discovery of the Zhenghe Bamin Bird: A fossil found in Fujian pushes the origins of modern birds back by 20 million years.
Ningxia’s Green Energy Push: Examining the province’s renewable energy claims—progress or over-promising?
Tug-of-War and State Media Spin: How Chinese state media frames rural traditions like tug-of-war as symbols of national harmony—and why scepticism remains.
Lanzhou’s Rose Industry: The overlooked success of China’s rose capital, its growing export market, and local cultivation techniques.
Over the past week, I’ve noticed a welcome uptick in readership, especially with Reflection: Falling in Love with Rural China. Similar pieces—like the one on China’s migrant workers and the quiet return to the countryside—have also struck a chord with many of you in these first three months of the website.
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As always, I am grateful for your continued readership. Now, let’s dive into this week’s dispatch.
The Resurgence of Wenshan’s Sanqi: From Ancient Remedy to Viral Sensation
This week, renewed interest in Sanqi (三七), or Panax notoginseng, has put Wenshan—a Yunnan region steeped in its cultivation—back in the spotlight. The herb, long revered as the “blood-stopping hero” (止血英豪), surged to viral fame after a trending hashtag, “Shen Gongbao’s medicine list is useful for workers too” (申公豹代购的药单打工人也用得上), dominated Chinese social media on 8 February. The discussion centred on Sanqi’s benefits, not just in traditional medicine but as a remedy for the aches and strains of modern physical labour.
First catalogued in Bencao Gangmu (本草纲目, Compendium of Materia Medica), Sanqi has been prized for centuries for its ability to stop bleeding, improve circulation, and treat blood-related ailments. Traditionally used for bruising, blood stagnation, and even heart disease, it remains central to Chinese medicine today, featuring prominently in products like Yunnan Baiyao (云南白药).
The latest wave of interest stems from a viral conversation about Ne Zha (哪吒之魔童降世), an animated film in which the character Shen Gongbao purchases medicinal herbs—including Sanqi—for the people. That Sanqi was first on the list helped propel it into the modern digital age, where workers looking for relief from physical strain are now turning to it as a possible solution.
For Wenshan, the resurgence has driven a booming industry. The region, now the global hub for Sanqi cultivation, produces over 90% of the world’s supply. However, as the herb’s popularity grows, so does scrutiny. While some studies highlight its potential to improve circulation and reduce inflammation, the scientific community remains divided, with some researchers questioning its ability to live up to the more dramatic claims of traditional medicine.
For now, Sanqi’s legacy is finding new life in the digital age, where centuries of tradition meet the pressures of modern-day living. For Wenshan, this revival brings both economic opportunity and the challenge of backing tradition with solid scientific proof.
2025 MARA Objectives: Steering Rural China Toward Stronger, Sustainable Development?
During a meeting on 12 February 2025, Minister Han Jun of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) outlined the Ministry’s objectives for the year. Emphasising the need for high-quality and efficient implementation, the Ministry aims to push China’s agricultural and rural development forward, focusing on key initiatives that drive growth and sustainability. While the Ministry presents a confident vision for the future, whether these objectives will translate into tangible results remains to be seen. The following are the Ministry’s key goals for 2025:
Advancing Rural Revitalisation (加快推进乡村振兴): MARA plans to accelerate rural revitalisation by modernising agriculture, improving rural infrastructure, and enhancing public services. The Ministry intends to boost economic competitiveness, raise farmers’ standard of living, and attract investment to rural areas. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives will depend on how quickly and efficiently they can be implemented in diverse, often underdeveloped regions. Critics will watch for signs that these plans reach beyond top-tier cities and into the most impoverished rural communities.
Green Agricultural Development (绿色农业发展): The Ministry places a heavy emphasis on green agriculture, aiming to increase the supply of high-quality, sustainable agricultural products. By promoting eco-friendly farming practices, the goal is to ensure long-term environmental health while boosting agricultural output. Whether the policies will succeed in balancing environmental protection with the economic pressures of modern agriculture is uncertain, as the sector faces mounting challenges related to climate change and resource depletion.
Tackling Key Issues through Strategic Implementation (战略性解决关键问题): A central part of the 2025 agenda is the Ministry’s focus on grassroots-driven solutions. Through local engagement, MARA vows to address key challenges such as rural poverty, environmental degradation, and infrastructure gaps. This approach suggests a move away from broad, one-size-fits-all policies. However, the real test will lie in how quickly and effectively local governments and communities can mobilise and execute these solutions on the ground.
Balancing Multiple Goals (统筹多重目标): MARA’s approach aims to balance agricultural growth with ecological sustainability, an increasingly difficult task as environmental pressures grow. The Ministry promises that economic expansion will not come at the expense of rural communities or environmental stability. However, many will question whether the government can truly reconcile these competing interests, particularly in light of the rapid pace of industrialisation and urban expansion that continues to strain China’s natural resources.
Enhancing Coordination and Implementation (加强协调与落实): The Ministry emphasises the importance of stronger coordination with local governments and other stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of policies. MARA pledges to offer real-time solutions to rural communities, aiming to address emerging challenges more adaptively and responsively. While this approach is promising, the success of such coordination will depend on the efficiency and willingness of local governments to carry out these directives, especially in rural regions where bureaucratic inefficiencies are common.
Throughout these objectives, the Ministry highlights its broader vision of building a ‘robust agricultural nation’ (农业强国). This concept encapsulates China’s ambition to become a global agriculture leader, focusing on both modernisation and sustainability. However, the challenge will lie in making this vision a reality, balancing rapid development demands with the need to preserve the environment and strengthen rural communities.
MARA’s 2025 objectives reflect a shift towards modernisation and sustainability, yet the real-world impact of these plans remains unclear. The Ministry’s focus on rural revitalisation and green agriculture suggests an awareness of the need to ensure long-term environmental and economic stability. However, its promises will need to be more than well-crafted policy objectives—they must translate into real, measurable change in communities that have often been overlooked in past development initiatives.
While the shift to grassroots engagement marks a departure from more centralised decision-making, the question remains whether local governments can meet the Ministry’s ambitious goals. At the same time, the balancing act between economic growth and environmental responsibility presents a formidable challenge. As the implementation process unfolds, it will be critical to evaluate whether MARA can truly steer China’s rural sector toward sustainable development or whether these objectives will remain confined to ambitious rhetoric.
‘Zhenghe Bamin Bird’ Discovery in Fujian Pushes Back the Origins of Birds
A groundbreaking fossil discovery in Fujian is reshaping our understanding of avian evolution. The newly identified Baminornis zhenghensis (政和八闽鸟), also known as the Zhenghe Bamin Bird, was unearthed in November 2023 and has just been published in Nature this week. Found in Zhenghe County by a team of Chinese scientists, the fossil challenges long-held assumptions about when birds first emerged, pushing the origins of modern avian features back by 20 million years.
The research, led by Professor Wang Min from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, confirms that the fossil dates back approximately 150 million years to the Late Jurassic period. This places Baminornis zhenghensis earlier than Archaeopteryx, the bird-like dinosaur long regarded as the first known bird, significantly altering the evolutionary timeline.
What makes Baminornis zhenghensis particularly significant is its skeletal structure, which includes a short tail ending in a pygostyle—a feature characteristic of modern birds. This suggests that key avian traits, such as tail reduction and advanced flight adaptations, evolved far earlier than previously believed.
Adding to the discovery’s significance, scientists also uncovered an isolated wishbone with striking similarities to those of living birds. This suggests that at least two distinct bird species may have coexisted in the region during this period, providing rare insight into the diversity of early avian life.
With this discovery, Fujian has emerged as a crucial site for understanding the origins of modern birds, offering fresh perspectives on how and when key avian characteristics developed. As research continues, Baminornis zhenghensis could prove to be a pivotal piece in the puzzle of bird evolution.
Ningxia’s Green Energy Push: Progress or Over-Promising?
In a recent announcement from Ningxia Provincial Government, the region has proudly touted its renewable energy success, with over 96% of its energy now coming from clean sources, ranking it first in the northwestern provinces. On the surface, Ningxia’s rapid adoption of green energy appears as a model of sustainable development, with impressive figures and goals for the future. However, a closer look at the complexities of this story raises questions about the long-term viability of such claims, especially when viewed from the perspective of global environmental standards and the intricacies of China’s energy transition.
Ningxia’s recent achievements in solar and wind energy are indeed striking. The region’s installed renewable capacity exceeded 5 million kilowatts in 2024, and solar energy has flourished in previously underutilised desert areas. Ningxia’s government has made aggressive strides toward clean energy with ambitious projects such as the “Desert, Gobi, and Wilderness” solar base and large-scale wind power upgrades. The commitment to green energy is undeniable, but there is a tendency to overstate progress, particularly in regions that remain heavily reliant on coal.
While Ningxia is reducing its reliance on coal, it is still investing heavily in other forms of energy extraction that contradict its green energy narrative. Moreover, the expansion of renewable energy has often been accompanied by the question of whether it can meet rising demands without relying on coal-fired backup plants. In many cases, the actual contribution of renewables remains less significant than it appears on paper due to fluctuations in production and the need for grid stabilisation from conventional energy sources.
Furthermore, while Ningxia’s developments in green hydrogen production and wind power upgrades are commendable, there is scepticism around the scalability of these projects, especially considering the region’s limited infrastructure. Can these technologies replace fossil fuels, or are they merely piecemeal solutions contributing to a more significant global energy imbalance?
Like much of China’s green energy rhetoric, Ningxia’s energy success calls for a deeper, more critical examination. Whether it represents genuine sustainability or merely a well-curated projection of progress remains an open question, especially as global scholars continue to monitor how China’s energy infrastructure adapts to the realities of climate change.
The Tug of War of Ideas: State Media and the Fabrication of Ethnic Unity
Xinhua’s recent coverage of the 1,800-meter-long tug-of-war in Lintan County presents an idyllic narrative of cross-ethnic unity, as various groups—Han, Hui, Tibetan, and others—are depicted in joyous collaboration. The event, dating back over six centuries, is said to have originated as a military drill, later evolving into a communal festival held annually during the Lantern Festival.
At face value, the event is an interesting cultural celebration. However, the framing of this spectacle as a symbol of ‘ethnic solidarity’ overlooks a crucial, underlying issue: the systematic marginalisation and repression of ethnic minorities in China. By highlighting the event’s festive surface and ignoring the complex, often strained relationships between these communities and the state, Xinhua crafts a narrative that promotes an image of harmony while obscuring the realities of ethnic tension and political control.
The use of the tug of war as a metaphor for unity is telling. It is, after all, a contest of strength, with one side pulling against the other—a fitting analogy for the power dynamics at play between the state and its minority populations. However, rather than acknowledging the real challenges minorities face—be it cultural assimilation pressures or economic inequality—the coverage turns these deeply rooted issues into a performance of collective joy and festivity, offering an oversimplified account of national identity.
The absence of any critique or reflection on the broader social and political context speaks volumes about the priorities of state media. In presenting this tug of war as a cultural panacea, Xinhua continues a long-standing tradition of manufacturing narratives that serve the interests of the Party rather than reflecting the complex realities of China’s diverse population. The event may indeed be a powerful symbol, but not of unity. Instead, it reflects the state’s ongoing effort to choreograph public perception, shaping a version of ethnic relations that conforms neatly to a politically convenient ideal while sidestepping the uncomfortable truths of contemporary Chinese society.
Lanzhou’s Blooming Flower Industry: Turning Roses into Prosperity
In the cold, high-altitude region of Lanzhou New Area, Gansu Province, roses are not only blooming—they are also bringing prosperity to local farmers. Despite an average elevation of 1900 meters, harsh temperatures that can drop to -10°C, and low rainfall, the area has transformed its agricultural challenges into advantages through innovative technology.
Since 2018, Lanzhou New Area has invested in 450,000 square meters of smart greenhouses, focusing primarily on rose cultivation. These greenhouses have advanced sensors that monitor and regulate water, temperature, humidity, and nutrients, creating optimal flower growth conditions. This technology allows roses to be grown year-round, significantly increasing output. According to Li Zongjun, deputy manager of the Lanzhou New Area Agricultural Science and Technology Development Company, the yield of fresh-cut roses is now many times higher than traditional crops, with fewer pests and reduced decay thanks to the controlled environment.
The results have been impressive. Lanzhou now produces nearly 100 million stems of fresh-cut flowers annually, with a market value surpassing 1 billion yuan. The industry has also driven the development of online sales, with flower livestreams on popular e-commerce platforms helping to expand its reach. The flower base, equipped with refrigerated storage, ensures that roses are delivered fresh within 48 hours, even to international markets like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.
Beyond production, the flower industry has created more than 4,100 jobs, from harvesting and packaging to quality control and sales. Local workers, like Li Xiuying, a 42-year-old picker, earn over 6,000 yuan a month, a significant income in the rural area. The region has also implemented agricultural training programs, further equipping locals with the skills to thrive in the modern farming economy.
As Lanzhou New Area expands its flower industry, the future looks bright for the region’s economy and people, with plans for further technological upgrades and diversification of flower varieties. This transformation shows how innovation can breathe new life into traditional agriculture, creating a pathway to sustainable rural prosperity.
Between Mountains and Waters - Photo of the Week for 14 February 2025
For many of us enduring the cold grip of winter, the sight of crops erupting into bloom might seem far off. But in Jiangxi Province, the yellow fields of rapeseed flowers are already in full bloom as early as February, signalling the start of spring. These flowers, which blanket the land in gold, attract visitors seeking the beauty of the countryside—offering a vibrant contrast to the stark, frozen landscapes that still dominate Northern China.