One is greeted by colorful koi fish swimming gracefully in the ponds when entering Jiangsu Qihong Ecological Agriculture Development Co., Ltd., in east China's Jiangsu Province. The fish are a feast for the eyes. Guo Jun, the company's general manager, has dedicated her decade-long career to building a comprehensive industrial chain for koi fish breeding, sales and cultivation. She has led the residents of her hometown in achieving common prosperity, and in promoting rural revitalization.
Setting Benchmarks
Shuangfeng, a town in Taicang, a city in Jiangsu Province, is renowned for being a water-rich region. Koi, as ornamental fish, are considered "living gems in water." The fish are considered auspicious. Recognizing the market potential, Guo decided to become a koi fish farmer.
In 2013, Xinchuang, a village in Shuangfeng, launched a high-standard, fishpond-construction project. Guo conducted meticulous research and she compiled a business plan, which detailed the status, advantages and prospects of farming koi fish. After they conducted an evaluation, the town's officials deemed her plan feasible, and they leased a facility to Guo. She established Qihong koi fish farm the same year, and she equipped it to the highest standards.
Throughout the years, Guo has continuously upgraded the facilities. Today, the farm spans 300 mu (20 hectares), and it contains 50 ponds, of 1,000 square meters, and 36 ponds, of 3,000 square meters. It also houses three, high-standard greenhouses, each covering an area of 1,200 square meters, to provide favorable living conditions for the fish. These facilities not only lead domestically, but also rival top international fisheries.
Farming koi fish requires a relentless effort. Each spring, Guo fills the ponds with water, and by early summer she carefully selects fry. After a month, juvenile koi fish are harvested. The breeding cycle is every 45 days, with selection of parent fish based on pedigree and genetic quality. Guo οften stays οvernight to monitor fish spawning.
Developing Varieties
Early on, Guo observed koi fish (and their offspring) from Japan were prone to germplasm degeneration, such as reduced body size and a decline in color saturation, especially after multiple generations of breeding. So, Guo began cultivating domestic koi fish.
Guo partnered with Jiangsu Provincial Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute and Freshwater Fisheries Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences. Using genome sequencing, the researchers decoded genetic regulation mechanisms behind koi fish color variations. Building on these findings, Guo developed new varieties, with enhanced coloration patterns, body structure and growth rates.
Breeding is a marathon, and, through practice, Guo accumulated experience. She has published multiple papers to provide theoretical underpinning for koi fish genetic resource development and breeding. "Our 20 to 30 varieties now rival Japanese koi fish, at one-third (or even lower) the price," she says. Guo's company provides lifelong support to clients, helping the clients solve difficulties in koi fish farming. "Helping others find joy in koi fish is my joy," she says.
Rural Revitalization
Guo adopted a "win-win" model to increase her company's profits — and to increase villagers' incomes. Aquaculture has prevailed in Shuangfeng, and many of the residents also engage in shrimp farming. Guo has partnered with shrimp farmers to repurpose their idle ponds, for koi fish fry breeding, during the off season (March-July). She also provides all-process support and guidance — from site selection and feeding to fish-disease control — to villagers, to help boost their annual incomes by 5,000 yuan (US $704) per mu.
Guo is also dedicated to eradicating poverty. She donates 10,000 yuan (US $1,408) annually to in-need families in Xinchuang. She has funded the education of five students in past years. She contributes to various public-welfare programs. Throughout the years, she has donated, combined, 250,000 yuan (US $35,211) in cash and 80,000 yuan (US $11,267) in goods and materials to in-need people.
Guo is committed to ecological conservation. In 2022, she became a "civilian river chief" in Xinchuang; as such, she has patrolled the waterways to combat pollution, and to educate villagers about conservation. "Just as fish need clean water, economic development cannot be divorced from ecological conservation," she emphasizes.
Guo has received many honorary titles in recent years. She has been named a new-era outstanding agricultural craftsman in Jiangsu, and a Woman Pacesetter for Achievements in Suzhou, a city in Jiangsu Province. Guo envisions a future in which farming koi fish enriches people. "My dream is to empower rural development through this industry, and to make the countryside more prosperous and beautiful," Guo says.
Photos from Interviewee
(Women of China English Monthly June 2025)
Editor: Wang Shasha
