Li Chunmeng is a woman of remarkable determination and vision. Li, 51, was born and raised in Huzhen, a town in Jinyun County, in Lishui, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province. Li , who rose from an ordinary farmer to become the "queen of wild rice stem (jiaobai)," has for two-plus decades helped more than 4,500 households in her hometown achieve prosperity by cultivating jiaobai. Li is now president of Wuyangwan Fruit and Vegetable Professional Cooperative, in Jinyun. In 2021, she was named an exemplary individual in the fight against poverty, and a National Woman Pacesetter for Achievements. 

Taking Root

Li began her jiaobai-cultivation journey in the 1990s. At that time, she was operating a mushroom business in Yongkang, a city in Central Zhejiang. By chance, she helped farmers sell their excess jiaobai. She quickly realized the crisp and delicious jiaobai sold better than mushrooms. So, she seized the business opportunity, and she began developing the local jiaobai industry. 

Upon returning to Huzhen, her hometown, in 1998, Li rented 15 mu (1 hectare) of idle land, so she could plant jiaobai. She started from scratch; she studied hard, and for years, she experimented with efficient methods to cultivate jiaobai. Her hard work and dedication paid off; in 2008, she developed a method that made it possible to harvest jiaobai twice a year. That method significantly increased her yield. 

Li's philosophy is simple: "Love what you do and dig into it." Every year, she planted several extra mu of farmland, so she could conduct technical experiments. Now, she holds trademarks on more than 10 leading jiaobai-cultivation techniques, and she possesses six national patents. She has become a famous jiaobai-cultivation expert. 

Starting Businesses

In 2008, Li established Wuyangwan Fruit and Vegetable Professional Cooperative, in Jinyun. She volunteered to share her cultivation techniques with other villagers, which resulted in an increase in both jiaobai productivity and quality. In turn, the jiaobai industry in Jinyun quickly became prosperous. Now, Jinyun is the largest jiaobai production base in China; in fact, its jiaobai planting area accounts for eight percent of the national total. At present, around 35,000 people in the county, including many women, are engaged in the industry, which represents 10 percent of the county's labor force. 

As for Huzhen, Li has helped more than 4,500 households increase their incomes since 2008. Huzhen is now home to 14 jiaobai production bases, one production workshop, two cold-chain warehouses, and two trading markets. Combined, these businesses have created more than 2,000 jobs for locals. The jiaobai produced in Huzhen is now sold in neighboring regions, including Hangzhou, also in Zhejiang, and east China's Shanghai Municipality. The jiaobai is also sold in other countries. 

Keep Moving

Li has also played a pivotal role in poverty alleviation. In 2018, in response to a call by the Chinese Government, for paired collaboration on poverty alleviation involving Zhejiang and southwest China's Sichuan Province, Li took her expertise to Nanjiang County, in Sichuan. There, she and her team provided technical guidance and on-site support, and they helped establish jiaobai bases, which in turn created job opportunities. Her work has been instrumental in growing the county's jiaobai cultivation area from 65.4 mu (4.36 hectares), in 2018, to more than 3,200 mu (213 hectares), in 2020. In turn, her efforts have helped lift more than 3,400 low-income households out of poverty. 

From a rural woman to a jiaobai expert, and from experimenting with cultivation techniques to starting businesses, Li has never stopped her forward progress. Earlier this year, she shared her experiences in advancing rural development and poverty alleviation in Africa. In July 2024, the First Harare Forum for Africa — Rural Development Cooperation and China-Zimbabwe Civilizational Dialogue Academic Week was held, in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe. Li attended the forum, and she shared her story of pursuing common prosperity by growing jiaobai. Participants spoke highly of Li's story; many, for example, said her story was down-to-earth and inspiring. "Prosperity is never an individual matter, but is a goal achieved through hard work, mutual assistance and collective efforts," Li told the forum.

Photos from Interviewee

(Women of China English Monthly November 2024)

Editor: Wang Shasha