Daxing, a district in Beijing, has long enjoyed its reputation as China's "land of watermelons." The district is home to countless watermelon growers. Wang Lili, a farmer in Zhaojiachang, a village in Beizangcun, a town in Daxing, took over management of Beijing Zhaojiachang Chunhua Watermelon Production and Marketing Professional Cooperative in 2018. Since then, Wang has continuously promoted new technologies, expanded sales channels and introduced new varieties of watermelons. Wang now serves as the cooperative's general manager, and as a member of the Daxing District Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. She was named a Beijing Role Model in 2023, and a Women's Pioneering Entrepreneur of Beijing in 2024.
Achieving Prosperity
Since 2018, Wang has been exploring ways to innovate watermelon-planting techniques. She has led farmers in introducing new and superior varieties of watermelons, and in conducting planting experiments. She has established standardized, full-process production bases, which integrate national standards and traditional planting techniques, and which also leverage modern technologies that help her develop production procedures. By not using pesticides and chemical fertilizers, Wang has achieved standardized production while guaranteeing green, healthy and high-quality products.
"Growing good produce is not enough. We must also sell it at good prices," says Wang. To this end, Wang has attended numerous exhibitions, and she has traveled extensively, to expand sales channels. As a result of her efforts, the cooperative has established supply partnerships with numerous enterprises, supermarkets and e-commerce platforms, in Beijing. In July 2024, the cooperative, with live-streaming teams from postal branches in 16 districts, conducted a four-hour live broadcast, during which it sold 1,200 boxes of watermelons on behalf of its farmers.
To ensure the villagers earn more money, Wang always pays more than average market prices when she buys their watermelons. "Farmers toil in the fields. Letting them earn a little more can truly improve their lives," she says. Wang has provided considerable assistance to other farmers. For example, she has allowed others to plant their watermelons on her land, she has provided other farmers with irrigation and planting facilities, and she has helped other growers solve their planting difficulties.
The cooperative now οperates three production bases, which cover a combined 260 mu (17.3 hectares). It has 320 member households, and it has helped more than 1,000 villagers participate in watermelon planting and sales.
Smart Farming
Wang has taken the lead in applying modern agricultural technology in the fields. In 2023, she founded Chunhua Digital Twin Farm. It is an intelligent, unmanned farm, built with Internet of Things (IoT) and digital twin technologies. The farm has identified developing green, ecological and digital agriculture as its key development priorities.
The farm worked with Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture to develop Nongzhiyun, an IoT smart-agriculture-management system, which is used to grow watermelons in greenhouses. The system uses AI-generated big data, to simulate elements, such as farm infrastructure, the ecological environment and production-sales routes. Sensors and IoT technology are used to precisely monitor and adjust the growth environment of the watermelons. Real-time collection of key environmental data, such as soil humidity, temperature, pH, air humidity and light intensity, as well as historical pest and disease data, enables precise irrigation and fertilization and pest and disease prevention.
"Our Nongzhiyun platform allows management of the entire unmanned farm with just a mobile phone," Wang explains. Environmental data of each greenhouse can be viewed on the phone's screen. With a simple touch and slide on the screen, farmers can monitor and adjust the growth environment on the farm. The smart melon-plantations are just a model, Wang says. She plans to popularize smart melon-planting, so more farmers will share the convenience, and benefits, of new quality productive forces.
Revitalizing Villages
Zhaojiachang is adjacent to Yongding River, a vital waterway in northern China. Based on Zhaojiachang's geographical location and cultural resources, Wang proposed adoption of an "industry + tourism + culture" development model. The model has transformed Zhaojiachang into a sightseeing destination, which integrates agricultural experiences, leisure tourism and cultural inheritance. Wang also adopted an integrated "digital industry + study tour + farming culture" marketing model, under which study tours to the village, suitable for students of different ages, have been conducted. Also, various experiments, involving farming and craft production, have been carried out. All of the activities have been intended to enhance students' participation and interest in learning. The initiatives have not only enriched villagers' spiritual and cultural lives, but have also injected strong momentum into the village's sustainable development.
Under Wang's leadership, Zhaojiachang and Beizangcun have achieved leapfrog development. Villagers are confident, not only about growing wealth from the land, but also about embracing a more promising future.
Photos from Interviewee
(Women of China English Monthly July 2025)
Editor: Wang Shasha
