In the interplay of radio waves and imagery, a new and captivating picture of Shanghai-style rural life is being woven. A collaborative media series, exploring the region's rural charm, has been launched, guiding audiences to discover the fine produce and scenic spots in Shanghai's outskirts. It features village leaders sharing their foundational stories of rural revitalisation, showcasing the intelligent cultivation of the city's agricultural experts who treat the land as their canvas and practice as their brush.
At 6 a.m., a light mist still hangs over Lianjun Village in northernmost Jiading. Seventy-five-year-old resident Auntie Zhang is already at the village's communal vegetable garden, bending to pull weeds from the ridges. Behind her, neat rows of tender green vegetable leaves, beaded with dew, exude vitality. It's hard to imagine that this village, named after martyr Wang Lianjun, was once a community of留守村 (left-behind residents) just a few years ago. Today, it has successfully been listed as a key village for rural tourism in Shanghai. Village Party Branch Secretary Wang Lei summarised the transformation in one sentence: "We have activated idle resources, giving villagers jobs right at their doorstep and more opportunities to earn money."
Lianjun Village is located in the western part of Huating Town, Jiading District, covering an area of 4.07 square kilometres, making it one of the northernmost administrative villages in Shanghai, excluding Chongming. Faced with inconvenient transportation and weak supporting infrastructure, its development path was a puzzle. In Wang Lei's view, for a village like Lianjun with relatively weak resource endowments, developing overnight-stay homestays was clearly not the optimal solution. Rather than blindly following trends, it made more sense to activate the two things the village had in abundance: idle farmland and the villagers' vegetable-growing skills.
The Initial Strategy
These two assets pointed towards a solution: the "shared vegetable garden." A new-generation farmer in his 30s, Jia Tao, found common ground with the village secretary and rented 100 mu of land in the village to operate this concept. Unlike traditional shared gardens, Jia embedded sensors into the soil and set up a visual monitoring system. Members prepay 4,000 to 5,000 yuan annually to rent a dedicated 25-square-meter plot. They can opt for full委托 (entrustment) to villagers for planting and maintenance, guaranteeing an annual yield of 300-400 jin of vegetables. Alternatively, they can choose a weekly delivery from a "public菜田 (vegetable field)" or order via live-streaming e-commerce. "The vegetable seeds all come from the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and each delivery box bears the name of our responsible grower. Customers can use a手机APP (mobile app) to see the real-time growth of their plot. The entire production process, from seed source to harvest, is fully traceable," Jia explained. The first phase of 20 mu is now open, receiving positive feedback. Mr. Hu made a special trip from Fengxian,熟练地 (skillfully) opening his phone app to show a reporter: "This plot is mine. I can see everything from home. We're growing cucumbers and string beans here; I decide what to plant. It's not just about buying vegetables; it's about purchasing emotional value."
Creating Local Employment
Of course, the shared garden holds another crucial value: re-employing villagers in their 50s and 60s. Auntie Zhang is one of them, working around 20 days a month, resting on rainy days, and earning 3,500 yuan monthly. "This is意外收入 (unexpected income)!" she said with a smile. Currently, the shared garden has absorbed 50-60 such villagers. "They may lack other skills, but they are excellent at growing vegetables," Wang Lei noted.
Activating Idle Farmhouses
If the shared garden activates farmland and labour, then the "rural apartments" initiative activates idle farmhouses. Adjacent to the Huating Town Industrial Park, the village committee uniformly renovated villagers' unused farmhouses into high-quality apartments, leasing them to surrounding enterprises for housing executives. All 24 suites in the first four buildings have been rented out, providing villagers with 70,000 yuan in annual租金 (rent). Compared to the previous 10,000-20,000 yuan from individual rentals, overall income has significantly increased, and management is more straightforward. The committee also established a "Red Steward" service mechanism, coordinated by a village committee member to handle repairs, utilities, and internet, responding to tenant needs like a property management service.
Introducing Agritourism
Lianjun Village's other initiative is the "City Super Farm." This farm's predecessor was a 700-plus-mu organic vegetable base operated by City Super. Last December, the base converted its central kitchen into an agritourism space. "Originally, we transported vegetables out to sell. Now, we hope guests come to experience, eat, play, and buy a week's worth of vegetables to take home," said Cui Yixiong, Chairman of Shanghai Urban Modern Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. For about 50-60 yuan per person, visitors can make pizza, pick tomatoes, craft冰糖葫芦 (candied hawthorns), and drink coffee. Within just half a year of opening, City Super Farm surged to the top of大众点评 (Dianping) rankings in Jiading District and third in Shanghai. Cui revealed: "Weekend revenue is around 20,000 yuan; the level of crowding has exceeded our expectations. There is demand in this market."
Measurable Outcomes
Relying on these projects, Lianjun Village has delivered tangible results: the village collective's annual fixed income increased by over 800,000 yuan; more than fifty villagers saw an average annual income increase of about 30,000 yuan through the shared garden; the rural apartments project boosted annual income by over 200,000 yuan for four households. In 2025, Lianjun Village, in collaboration with Liuhe Town in Taicang City, Jiangsu Province, launched the "All the Way North" cross-provincial cultural tourism route, achieving regional synergy. Wang Lei's three-year plan is clear and朴素的 (unpretentious): "Short-term, make the village popular and attract visitors; medium-term, provide work and income for the elderly; long-term, ensure the village collective's income continues to grow."
Lianjun Village avoids following trends and blind imitation, instead excelling at the most fundamental things. Wang Lei stated: "Lianjun Village is using down-to-earth rural practices to explore a path of revitalisation most suitable for itself."
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