Jungar Banner: A Harmonious and Beautiful Village with Green Rice Fields

On the bank of the Yellow River in Xiaotanzi Village, Dalu Town, Jungar Banner, which is known as "the Most Beautiful Village along the Yellow River in China", there are 5 major colorful rice fields totaling 87 hectares. Viewed from the air, the beautiful rice fields are absolutely lifelike, and the endless rice fields complement each other with the upright observation tower and the rushing water in the Yellow River, just like a magnificent picture scroll.

Beautiful Scenery of Xiaotanzi Village in Dalu Town [Photo via the People's Government of Dalu Town, Jungar Banner]

There are many types of landforms in Xiaotanzi Village of Dalu Town, such as ponds, farmland, deserts and wetlands, which make the agricultural format present many styles, laying a foundation for the development of multi-type ecological agriculture. In 2017, Xiaotanzi Village was rated as a national beautiful and livable demonstration village. In 2019, it was rated as a municipal civilized administrative village. In 2020, it was rated as a characteristic village of the rural revitalization demonstration administrative village under the protection of the municipal level.

In recent years, with the construction of "beautiful countryside" as the starting point, Jungar Banner has carried out the upgrading project of Harmonious & Beautiful Village Construction of Xiaotanzi Village in depth, striving to transforming it into "the Most Beautiful Village" as well as a "Harmonious and Beautiful Demonstration Village" along the Yellow River.

According to the overall deployment of rural revitalization, a new way of three-dimensional planting and breeding ecological agriculture is explored. With farming culture as the carrier, the resource advantages of the Yellow River are brought into play, and the model of "symbiotic planting and breeding of rice and fishery" is used to create a new demonstration project -- Rice and Fishery Three-dimensional Planting and Breeding Project. Moreover, the brand of "Yellow River Rice and Fishery" is established. With intelligent agriculture as the starting point, ecological sightseeing tourism is developed through the combination of rice planting and water economy. It has realized multi-purposes in one plot, multi-yield in one water area and multi-harvest in one farmland, driving the integrated development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries, helping farmers to increase their income and become rich, and achieving the goal of promoting tourism and its upgrading by agriculture.

By upgrading and transforming farmland, and developing rice planting and crab breeding, Xiaotanzi Village will be built into a characteristic agricultural tourism village. The whole village is divided into three experience areas: "Fisherman's Customs along the Yellow River, Yellow River Cultural Tourism, and Agricultural Sightseeing along the Yellow River Beach", forming an idyllic complex with six functional systems of dining, living, traveling, shopping and entertainment, which is an excellent tourist destination away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Aerial Photo of Xiaotanzi Village Pastoral Complex [Photo via the People's Government of Dalu Town, Jungar Banner]

At present, the project covers a total area of 87 hectares, with 6,000 kg of fish seed and 2,000 kg of crab seed, which truly practices the ecological concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and fulfils the requirements of overall planning for the governance of mountain, water, forest, field, lake and grass. The project not only provides a good place for eco-agricultural sightseeing, leisure and holiday, and health preservation for citizens in surrounding cities, but also increases large amount of rice and a large number of agricultural products such as fish, crabs and ducks every year, enriching food choices of the people.