Farming hits the high life

Therefore, the team brought in a modular steel ceiling with solar panels, which ensure both a comfortable respite from the midday sun, while also harvesting solar energy for residents.

Xie estimates that the ceiling will earn its keep after five years.

As for the sightseeing area, plants with small flowers and leaves, as well as thin branches that wave in the breeze, were chosen to create a soft and uplifting experience for visitors.

Xie believes that such roof spaces have great potential in densely populated city areas.

"It can be an appealing site for walks and other activities, and a place to develop a community," she says.

An increasing number of urban residents at home and abroad have started to seek a social life that promotes environmental protection and personal health, which is good news for sustainability and community activity development, experts say.

Resident participation will also reduce daily outlay for roof maintenance, Xie says.

She and her team hope the rooftop garden model can be applied to more buildings in the city.

"After the pandemic, it can be an oasis," she says.

To date, many industrial parks in the city have explored various models of rooftop farming, including a 2,000-square-meter green space on top of a parking lot in Bao'an district of Shenzhen.