'New peasants' return home to relax, prosper in villages

Seasonal variety

During harvest season, their days start at 3 am and end at 11 pm. They have learned to cope with different situations, especially dealing with unfavorable weather conditions, which have a huge impact on the vegetables.

Working on the farm has also given them a different perspective about the rhythm of life in rural communities, which follows the planting and harvesting seasons.

Liang and Wang are among a growing number of young Chinese people living in villages and becoming "new farmers".

The concept of rural revitalization was introduced by the government in 2017 and is a key part of the national development policy to stimulate local economies and guarantee food supplies, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

By 2025, more than 15 million people are expected to return to their home villages and start businesses, according to a ministry report.

On social media platform Xiaohongshu the hashtag "recording my life in the village" has garnered more than 2.5 billion views. Hashtags for "new peasant," have been viewed about 100 million times.

Liang and her boyfriend also use social media platforms to record and share their life on the farm, which has gained them a large fan following.

"Many people have left us messages. Some ask about the farming experience while others express their wish to return to the villages," she said.

"Nowadays, we young people want to break away from the traditional roles given to us by society, and choose jobs that are not considered mainstream, such as a new farmer".

Liang's father is an entrepreneur who understands and supports his daughter's decision to become a farmer. However, Liang's mother was initially cool on the idea.

"She works in government so she wants me to have a stable job like her. But gradually, by watching my videos she understood what I want to do," said Liang. "Though our farm is still not able to grow enough to cover our rent and other bills, we are optimistic about what we do and will keep on doing it."