Pastures of possibility

"Our village was fragmented — scattered farmland, aging infrastructure," He explains.

"But with the high-speed rail station just a few kilometers away, we had an opportunity."

With local reform, dispersed plots were merged into large, scenic fields, including rainbow-colored rapeseed blossoms developed with the help of provincial agronomists. Local husbandry operations have adapted to strict green development standards.

During holidays, Honglian receives up to 30,000 visitors per day, boosting sales of free-range chicken, fresh milk, and other local products.

Those changes made Gu all the more convinced to take the plunge to invest in the upcoming new facility that includes high-standard cow sheds, a milking hall, and a dairy culture exhibition hall.

"Actually, it was a family decision," he says.

The goal is to upgrade from traditional dairy farming to smart, data-driven management. The facility also aims to become a leading cattle breeding base in the Yangtze River Delta, integrating agriculture, animal husbandry, and cultural tourism.

"We've installed an enclosed emission-reduction system in the sheds, which is expected to cut odor emissions by over 70 percent and improve surrounding air quality," Gu says.

Now, laughter mingles with the warm, earthy scent of hay at his farm, as children, whose hands often sticky with ice cream, giggle while bottle-feeding calves, which poke their heads through the rails of their pens. Just steps away, a line forms outside the dairy shop for fresh milk, yogurt, and smoothies made from the morning's milking.

This scene has become a daily rhythm at the farm, which has transformed into a thriving agritourism destination.

At peak times like May Day and National Day, the farm receives up to 6,000 visitors a day, Gu explains.

"Our highest single-day revenue has surpassed several hundred thousand yuan," he says.

Gu is among many local residents in rural Xiuzhou launching creative rural businesses as villages grow increasingly appealing to travelers.

About a 20-minute drive away, Shou Lingyi's Daoshang Bistro is packing in curious visitors from far and wide.