Amidst Beijing’s heaviest December snowfall, while most residents remained sheltered in heated apartments, Dai Wanli and her family embarked on their weekly pilgrimage to their suburban sanctuary. An hour’s drive from the urban core in Changping district, the family tends to their 1,000-square-meter greenhouse and surrounding plots—a growing phenomenon among Chinese city dwellers becoming ‘weekend farmers.’
This urban exodus represents more than agricultural hobbyism; it’s a multifaceted response to modern urban pressures. Professionals like Dai, a human resources manager, and her media executive husband find solace kneeling in soil harvesting celery, radishes and broccoli while their eight-year-old son participates with his own miniature basket. ‘During weekdays, we confront complex, intangible problems in office environments,’ Dai reflects. ‘Despite the physical exertion, we achieve genuine relaxation and peace in the green, tranquil countryside.’
The shared farming movement has gained remarkable momentum across China’s peri-urban areas, driven by triple motivations: pursuit of organic produce, escape from professional stress, and nostalgic yearning for rural connections. Commercial farms have responded by developing integrated agricultural experiences that combine gardening with educational tours and leisure activities, creating comprehensive rural retreats.
Financial investment mirrors the trend’s significance. Families typically commit approximately 16,000 yuan ($2,300) annually for land access—a substantial sum indicating serious commitment to the lifestyle. The model has proven particularly successful in areas like Daxing (south of Beijing) and Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, where urban farming projects successfully merge food production with recreational and educational components.
Beyond individual benefits, these shared farms foster unexpected community bonds among participants who share gardening techniques, harvest exchanges, and collective environmental stewardship. The movement represents a sophisticated urban-rural synthesis where technology professionals, executives, and service workers equally find common ground—literally and metaphorically—in their shared patches of earth.