From July 3–4, the "Explore Guangdong: Embracing Rural Charm" event brought media and international students to Nansha, Guangzhou, to experience the district's agricultural innovation and rural revitalization.
At the Great Bay Area Agri-Valley Aquaponics Smart Lab in Mingzhu Agricultural Park, visitors observed how AI, IoT, and big data are used to monitor and optimize aquaculture operations—from feeding to disease alerts—through touch-controlled systems.
"This level of fish farming technology is incredibly advanced," said influencer Guozi Aerial View.
Nearby, the Happy Farming project allows residents to rent urban garden plots. Caretakers manage the crops, while participants can remotely monitor their "cloud chickens" via an app, even tracking their daily steps. The project is introducing automated irrigation and fertilization systems for added convenience.
Mingzhu Park has become a hub for agri-tech, leisure, and enterprise, offering misting greenhouses, blueberry farms, and over 100 varieties of tropical fruits. International students enjoyed fresh melons, guavas, lotus seeds, and a rare delicacy—finger limes.
"This isn't a normal lemon—it looks like caviar and smells amazing," said Melody from Turkey. Payam from Iran added, "I've never tasted lotus seeds before. They're delicious."
The park also emphasizes education, hosting up to 3,000 visitors daily and offering agricultural tours for students from Hong Kong and Macao.
"When it comes to villages, we mostly go fishing. In China, I see how they grow the plants, cultivate the crops, and also go fishing. That leads the Chinese to be good at farming. It's amazing," said Jorgie from Papua New Guinea.
As part of Nansha's strategy to build a National Agricultural Opening-up and Cooperation Pilot Zone—a title it earned in 2023—the park showcases the integration of agriculture, culture, education, and tourism. Other national honors include designation as a Modern Agricultural Whole-Industry-Chain Standardization Base and a Top 100 Pre-made Dish Industrial Base.
The delegation also visited Guangdong Siwun Logistics Equipment Co., Ltd. in Dagang Town, where they saw smart conveyors that boost parcel-sorting efficiency by 30%. “I was surprised, because such technology is more convenient for people who want to shop online," said Jorgie.
The company serves major e-commerce players like SF Express and JD.com, with automation tech adopted across Asia and Europe. As a symbol of Dagang's rising manufacturing strength, the company reflects the town's rapid economic growth.
Dagang ranked 210th in China's Top 500 Town Economies in 2025, with industrial output reaching ¥10.2 billion last year. It's targeting ¥13 billion in 2025 and ¥20 billion by 2027, with 700,000 square meters of high-standard factory space in development.
Reporter: Zhang Yiwei
Photo: Zhang Yiwei, Wang Minjie
Editor: Liu Lingzhi, James, Shen He
