Mini landscapes drive village's economy

On a chilly morning five days before Spring Festival, over 100 pots of various miniature landscapes are meticulously arranged in an open area in front of the village office of Zhouquan, Xinhe town in Shuyang county, Jiangsu province.

Several livestreamers move among them, each holding a phone secured onto a tripod. They pause occasionally to introduce these products to their viewers.

The fair was organized by the local government and offers live broadcasting services for village cultivators of penjing, or miniature potted landscapes, said Jiang Fangfang, a publicity official of Xinhe town.

Situated on China's north-south divide, Shuyang benefits from a mild climate and four distinct seasons, making it a leading producer of ornamental plants and seedlings. The region generates 35 billion yuan ($5 billion) annually, with 40,000 hectares of production and over 10 million miniature landscape pots, supporting over 300,000 jobs. Its live-streamed sales make up one-third of the national total in this category.

In Zhouquan village, more than 300 families of the total 1,200 operate penjing businesses, making it a pillar industry for the local economy with an annual output of about 300 million yuan, said Hu Liuchuang, the village's Party secretary.

The history of penjing cultivation in Zhouquan dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

According to local records, when Hu Jianjing, a teacher of Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722), left the capital for his hometown of Shuyang to observe the mourning period after his father died in 1671, the emperor gifted him a miniature landscape of a procumbent juniper.

Hu planted it in the family garden and it remains standing in Zhouquan centuries later.

The style of woniu wangyue, or ox watching the moon, in penjing is very significant to the village.

It features over 60 cloud-like tiers, each intricately perforated with nearly 40 diamond-shaped openings that interlinked like the mesh of a fishing net.

Its net-knot winding technique representing the pinnacle of Chinese penjing sculpting artistry, this miniature landscape is said to be the origin of the penjing industry in Zhouquan. Generations of villagers have learned penjing cultivation techniques by observing the ancient procumbent juniper.

Hu Liuchuang, 47, has been working in the penjing family businesses for more than 20 years.

The 47-year-old recalls how in the 1970s, some 20 local families used to transport their penjing creations by bicycle or oxcart to sell in neighboring towns and cities.

Later, they began using three-wheeled trucks to transport the penjing pots. By the 2000s, with the rapid expansion of the internet, sellers had shifted to online platforms — and since 2020, live streaming has become the dominant channel for sales.

Jiang Aihua, 53, is the first cultivator in Zhouquan to begin selling her penjing pots on popular e-commerce platform Taobao.

Jiang, once a Chinese teacher at a local primary school, left her job after the birth of her son to join the family's penjing business. In 2007, intrigued by the expansion of online shopping, she purchased a computer and began to learn how to sell penjing pots online.

When live broadcasting became popular several years later, Jiang quickly adopted this innovative sales method. This approach significantly boosted her business, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Historically, penjing enthusiasts were typically individuals over 50 with ample free time and disposable income. However, Jiang's online shops now offer a diverse selection of penjing, appealing to a broader audience and showcasing the full range of options available in the market.

Given the limited space in buyers' homes, there is a preference for smaller pots and evergreen species. Jiang has also noticed an increasing interest in penjing among younger people, who appreciate it as a hobby that benefits both physical and mental health.

Her 24-year-old son, Zhou Jiangchao, recently returned home after working for two years in other cities following his university graduation. Jiang is now teaching him how to sell penjing through live broadcasting.

"I told him that before introducing the penjings to viewers, he must fall in love with them first and understand them completely," she explains.

"He mentioned that customers can easily find information online if they're interested, but I told him it's a completely different experience."

Jiang acknowledges that young people, like her son, are quick learners. "With the rise of artificial intelligence, we want to incorporate it into our business," she says.

She says she hopes her son will learn to use AI to create videos that showcase the growth process of penjing, believing this will attract more buyers.

yangyangs@chinadaily.com.cn