Gardening nurtures stressed youngsters

Seeds of an idea

Liao Wantian, who grew up in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, also has her plant base in Tongxiang and runs an online business.

After graduating from Zhejiang A&F (Agricultural and Forestry)University in 2018 with a degree in horticulture, she found a stable job in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

In 2020, Liao left her job to start a business with her boyfriend, a horticulture major from Shandong Agricultural University.

"At first, I didn't know how I would make it work," she said. "I only had 10,000 yuan in savings, which was hardly enough to even rent a greenhouse. But I was driven by my passion and the belief that this was a growing industry."

She applied to an agricultural innovation park aiming to attract young entrepreneurs to rural areas. In 2015, the Zhejiang provincial government launched an agricultural entrepreneurship platform to address the financial difficulties faced by entrepreneurs at the startup stage.

Chong Fu agricultural innovation park, located in Tongxiang, offers low-interest loans, insurance guarantees, rental reductions, startup subsidies and housing benefits, according to Chi Jia, Party secretary of the park.

"We cannot do it without government support," said 29-year-old Liao.

Over the past decade, the number of entrepreneurial entities in the park has grown from four to 93. The number of young people starting their businesses here has increased from seven to 270, with 88 percent of them new Tongxiang residents, said Chi.

The average age is around 30, while the park's annual output value has increased from 8 million yuan to 356 million yuan.

Chi said the park has boosted the collective income of surrounding villages by 6.2 million yuan per year, providing over 1,300 local jobs and increasing the annual total income of surrounding villagers by over 56 million yuan.

Liao said her focus is on capitalizing on the growing demand for indoor plants. In just one year, she managed to accumulate assets worth 1 million yuan, thanks to her innovative sales model, which combined media self-promotion, livestreaming sales of premium plant varieties, and offline wholesale for more affordable options.

Liao quickly built a loyal customer base and thriving business, and what started as a small-scale venture quickly grew into a 15-mu operation.

"As a young entrepreneur, I found my true calling in plants," Liao said.

"It's incredible how plants have become a popular trend among my generation. There's something so fulfilling about cultivating life and connecting with nature far away from the hustle and bustle of big cities. This lifestyle brings me peace, creativity, and a sense of purpose."

chennan@chinadaily.com.cn