Opportunities flourish in rural China as new professions bloom

JINAN -- After months of hard work during the peak wheat harvest season, Zhao Xianchang and his son finally have a moment to rest, but their brief respite will be short-lived as they prepare to embark on a new venture.

Zhao hails from Zhaojia village in Weifang, a city in East China's Shandong province. He bought a small tractor several years ago to ease planting, which eventually led him to establish an agricultural machinery cooperative. Seeking greater efficiency, he transitioned into a professional farm machinery operator, offering specialized services to fellow farmers.

The demand for machinery services used to fluctuate seasonally due to single-crop farming, but with the diversification of agriculture, Zhao now sees their machinery in constant use.

As agricultural modernization and economic development progress, new professions are emerging in rural China. Farmers are now taking on roles as farm machinery operators, live streamers and even artists, reflecting the growing specialization and professionalism in the country's rural areas and expanding their skill sets.

FINANCIAL GAINS

Zhao Xichang's son, Zhao Kai, explained that in the spring, they drive rotary tillers to Kaifeng city in Central China's Henan province for plowing and also operate tractors in Weifang to assist vegetable farmers.

During the summer, they travel across regions nationwide for over a month, working on wheat harvest. In autumn and winter, they focus on local farming, assisting with the harvest and helping ginger farmers with plowing.

As a dedicated farm machinery operator for nearly a decade, Zhao Kai has used five or six combine harvesters, evolving from manual to electronic controls while witnessing the advancement of modern farming in China.

"Harvesting 300 mu (20 hectares) of wheat in a single day is now easily achievable, with less grain loss than before, working from 9 am until late at night," Zhao Kai said.

In Huanghua village, Gongzhuling city, in Northeast China's Jilin province, Wang Xiuying stood in a flower greenhouse spanning over 1,000 square meters and introduced clivia online. Facing the camera, he said, "The texture of this orchid's leaves is clear and eye-catching. If you like it, please buy it," as he live-streamed at an e-commerce platform.

Now a planter, Wang was once a migrant worker. She is effectively contributing to China's rural revitalization by leveraging modern new media technology in farming.

"I sell dozens of potted plants during each live stream," she said. "In peak seasons, I can sell over a hundred pots a day, with buyers from across the country."

In recent years, Huanghua has established an e-commerce service station, and several logistics companies have partnered with local flower farmers. Wang's daily routine includes live-streaming in the morning and packaging orders in the afternoon. Each day, delivery personnel from various logistics companies arrive on time to pick up the goods.

Wang has amassed over 20,000 social media followers, with nearly a hundred viewers tuning in daily to watch her sell flowers via live streaming. This has expanded the market for the village's clivia to buyers nationwide. Inspired by her success, many villagers are now venturing into e-commerce live streaming.

Currently, the village has over 100 flower greenhouses, with annual clivia sales revenue exceeding 100 million yuan (about $14 million), benefiting many households with significant economic gains.

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY

From 2019 to 2022, China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security added 74 new professions to its list, including e-commerce practitioners and housekeepers, with 13 directly supporting rural revitalization. In May this year, online live streamers were also included in the list of new professions.

In Jilin province, over 6,000 rural professionals have been awarded vocational titles in fields such as folk artistry, farm management, e-commerce marketing, and leadership in farmer cooperatives.

Likewise, Juye county, located in Shandong's Heze, a city renowned for its peony cultivation, has seen a rise in peony-themed art that has become increasingly popular among tourists. Notably, many of the most celebrated artists are local farmers.

Gui Huaifang, 37, has worked diligently to master drawing techniques and now completes a painting in about two weeks, each selling for 4,000 yuan. As one of the first artists in the Hongmiao village cooperatives, she often creates detailed peony paintings and films the process with her phone to share online.

"Instead of leaving my rural home to work in the cities, I can stay here, spend more time with my children, and embrace new opportunities. Peony art has allowed me to build a better life right here at home," she said.

Peony brush painting is relatively easy to learn, allowing farmers to quickly grasp basic techniques and complete works independently. To support this artistic endeavor, Juye county has launched free training courses through 49 local painting studios and over 160 calligraphy and painting institutions. These initiatives promote art education and help farmers increase their income.

Currently, Juye has eight towns and 50 villages specializing in painting, with over 600 calligraphy and painting studios, more than 300 framing shops, and over 1,000 sales outlets.

The art industry here employs over 20,000 people and produces more than 1.2 million artworks annually, which are exported to 40 countries and regions, with the output value expected to exceed 1.2 billion yuan this year.