Online Exclusive: Live From China

Days 13 and 14 (May 1 & 2, 2010)

I arrived in Beijing around 9 pm on April 30 and was met at the airport by my friend, Professor Wang Zhiping (State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing). Zhiping, as I call him, and I have been friends since 2006 when he spent 15 months at Clemson University as a visiting professor. He and his wife, Yan Ying, had been to my home many times and were happy to host me in Beijing the last two days. During these two days, I was a genuine tourist. We visited the Temple of Heaven, went souvenir shopping near Tiananmen Square, ate at a Peking Duck restaurant, and watched the Beijing Opera. We also toured Zhiping’s research institute.

Beijing is an impressive historic city that hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics. The new airport is state-of-the-art. It boasts nearly 70 colleges and universities. As the capital city of the People’s Republic of China, it is the administrative head of government. Technically, it is a municipality – something like the District of Columbia, here in the U.S. Population estimates range in the 22-25 million. There are five concentric traffic circles (actually rectangles) emanating from the central core of the city. Professor Wang’s institute is just outside circle 5 on the top left corner of the district map.

It was a gloriously sunny and warm Saturday morning and the people of Beijing and visiting tourists were out in full force. Saturday actually began the five-day “Labor Day” weekend. As we approached the Temple of Heaven, a young entrepreneur with a small suitcase came to sell me a watch. I was a shrewd bargainer and got him down to 30 RMB (about $5) for the “Rolex”, but upon closer inspection realized that the quality was insufficient to seal the deal. We parted company politely – at least I did – but I don’t think I’d want translated the words he uttered with a scowl.

It was fun snapping candid photos of tourists and children at the Temple and elsewhere around the city. Everywhere we went on Saturday was crowded! As we walked, we saw fresh and dried fruits, “hot dogs”, and Tanghulu being sold. The latter is like a modified version of an American candied apple. It includes up to 8 Chinese hawthorn fruits (Crataegus pinnatifida) skewered onto a bamboo stick and then dipped into a sugar-syrup that hardens. Apart from the seeds, this was a delightful snack! (Actually, I wonder if our candied apple was an idea that originated from someone in the States seeing tanghulu in China first?!).

After spending a few hours souvenir shopping, we went to dinner and then to a traditional performance of the Beijing Opera. Wow! The performance was nearly three hours long with no intermission. Although there were electronic signs on either side of the stage to tell what the actors were saying or singing, I couldn’t read what they said. So much was going on that it would have been impossible for Zhiping to translate and keep me up with the story. It was, however, a delight to watch and listen to. The traditional instruments, vocalization, singing, performing, costumes, etc. were truly amazing – something you need to see to really appreciate. I hope the photos of actors in costume help give a picture of this unique, Chinese, cultural experience! This put the end to a wonderful but long day. Today’s blog update would have to wait until I got back to the U.S.

On the morning of my last day in China, Zhiping met me at the hotel and we walked to his nearby institute. Just outside the hotel, a young couple was having their wedding ceremony. We stood nearby and watched as they took family photos. A perfect day for an outside ceremony! Zhiping’s institute is very large. They have 300 scientists and 600 graduate students on-site. Housing for faculty and students exists in nice apartments on the property. There is a very nice botanical garden on their campus. Numerous sites on the property are designed for visitors and tourists to relax and have fun. Across the street from their property, there is a much larger city of Beijing Botanical Garden that is primarily for tourists. They charge admission to enter the city garden and it was a popular place this lovely spring day. As it was time to get going to the airport, we decided to leave early because the Sunday garden crowd was huge.

I am thankful to the Lord for this wonderful trip and a safe arrival home. I hope you enjoyed this journey with me. I am indebted to my many gracious hosts, guides, drivers, etc. Old friendships were strengthened and new friendships were established. I learned much and got to see how real people live and work at peach farms in China. These are real folks, just like us. I hope that you may be able to experience China one day too!

Finally, I would like to express my thanks to Ann-Marie Vazzano, Associate Editor, Meister Media, who invited me to do the blog in the first place. Allison Bray handled the actual uploading of text and images and made everything look nice. Thanks, Allison!

Zài jiàn (pronounced “Dzai gee-en” meaning goodbye)

Des

For a slideshow from May 1-2, click here.

 

Day 12 (April 30, 2010)

After breakfast today, we headed back toward Yinchuan (two hour drive) and spent the day in the nearby Zhongning county. Zhongning county is famous for the goji berry. It is also known as the wolfberry or red medlar. Ms. Cui Ping sent me home with some to share with my family. The wolfberry (Lycium chinense; see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfberry) is used as a traditional Chinese medicinal plant and the dried fruits are added to soup and tea. The fruits are rich in antioxidants and are reported to have health benefits including improving vision, reducing cholesterol and blood pressure, improving sleep, and boosting energy. Professor Wang told me that it was a good Chinese substitute for Viagra.

While we stopped to wait for our tour leaders to join us, it was fun to watch local folks coming/going and buying items at the local market on the roadside in the city. As we traveled on the local highways, we passed several large mosques, indicative of the large Muslim population among the predominant Hui minority people.

Our first stop was a large government supported corporation and training center for farmers known as Xiaoren Fruit and Vegetable Company, Ltd. The general manager, Mr. Ren Ai Min, met with us and shared information with us about this important site. China’s president, Hu Jintao, visited this site on March 21, 2010 (http://www.gov.cn/english/2010-03/24/content_1563261.htm). This facility offers state-of-the-art technology including GPS coordination of each greenhouse, centralized digital video in each house, and sophisticated environmental monitoring. Rather than the traditional straw mats I had observed at most other locations, the insulation/shade mats here were made of a long-lasting fabric and reported to be waterproof. An electric motorized system was used to roll them up and down. At this facility, they offer three classes (of 30 students each) per month to train farmers in the techniques of protected cultivation. Professor Wang, my host, had previously taught in these programs. A young college graduate who guided our in-house tour is a technician at the site and has a good job! Here we saw commercial peach, nectarine, apricot, and grapes being grown in the greenhouses. The master plan includes a large future park area for tourists.

Our second stop was another large government supported corporation known as Tian Tianxian Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Company, Ltd. Mr. Li Feng, manager, took us on a tour. Besides peach and nectarine houses, we also saw grapevines being uncovered (winter protection) that will soon be trellised and have plastic applied to the greenhouse. We also saw Chinese jujube plantings and cactus pear. The latter were being grown in heated greenhouses. Most commercial cactus pear in China comes from south China and is for an earlier season market. Fruit from these houses is harvested later, has much higher quality, and can fetch 15 RMB per fruit in the market. We ate lunch at a huge restaurant greenhouse on the property.

In the afternoon, we toured a famous outdoor historic site, the Western Xia Dynasty Royal Mausoleum, not far from Yinchuan (http://www.xixialing.com/en/). According to the historic marker, this is a royal burial place for kings and ministers of the Xia dynasty (1038-1227 A.D.). There are nine tombs of kings and over 200 tombs of ministers scattered around the 50 sq. km site. The dynasty was conquered by the Mongols under Genghis Khan in 1227 A.D. I wish I could have read the analect of Confucius that was on display in the museum!

Like most cities I have visited in China in the last year, new apartment building construction is moving at a rapid pace and on a large scale. This was true in Yinchuan. Before I boarded my flight to Beijing, we went to a traditional Muslim restaurant operated by the Hui people. Their specialty was lamb. Professor Wang told me that the restaurant did not serve alcohol. Given the copious imbibing common at most restaurants I visited, I puzzled and asked him how it did such a bustling business given this perceived limitation. He said it was because the food was so good. I concurred.
For a slideshow from April 30, click here.

 

Day 11 (April 29, 2010)

We spent the night in Yinchuan, the capital city of Ningxia autonomous region. The Hui people (predominantly Muslim) in Ningxia are an officially recognized minority in China. The Yellow (Huang He) River runs through this desert region and provides needed water for agriculture. According to Professor Wang, Ningxia is an ideal place for protected cultivation of peach and nectarine because the high light conditions promote high soluble solids in the fruit and good eating quality. Dr. Wang estimated that there were about 4,000 ha of protected peach and nectarine cultivation in Ningxia.

Ms. Cui Ping joined Dr. Wang and I for the 170 km (two hour) drive from Yinchuan south and west to Zhongwei county. Zhongwei has about 200 mm annual rainfall and very high light conditions. The main passive solar greenhouse cultivation here is for peach, nectarine, and grape. At our first stop, we saw simple passive solar houses. Dr. Wang estimated that the establishment cost for a simple 1,000 sq. meter house (including trees) was about 10,000 RMB. He told me that with a 16 RMB/kg early market fruit price, growers could net a profit in the first year. Because of high winds in the early spring, considerable damage to the plastic had occurred to some of the houses we looked at. In one greenhouse, we saw trees that had received severe pruning prior to harvest. Dr. Wang’s opinion was that fruit size would be compromised for these trees.

We visited a very nice government owned and run greenhouse complex with 2000 passive solar greenhouses. Apparently, these were built for the farmers by the government. Local farmers are managing these with supervision. I am not sure how profit is shared. The main crops grown here were nectarine and grape. In contrast to the 10,000 RMB cost for the simple houses at the first location noted above, the average cost for houses at this location was 60,000-100,000 RMB. This was obvious with cinderblock walls, large water storage units in each house, fancy and well-built doorways, some electronic control for irrigation, etc. Grasses were being sown in between the greenhouses to reduce wind erosion and wind-blown sand. However, because of strong desert winds, when greenhouse ventilation is open, sand/dust is introduced into the greenhouses and it can put a fairly significant coating on leaves and fruit. Other crops grown in the commercial production houses included tomatoes and various types of melons. This location is also meant to be a tourist destination and it includes educational houses, ones where tourists can pick fruit, a nice restaurant, educational signage, etc.

Later in the afternoon, we took a sightseeing diversion to visit the Shapotou Tourist Attraction (www.spttour.com). The scenery here was fabulous – where the desert, mountains, and Yellow river all come together. This site offered everything from camel rides, sand skating (sledding), riding a zip line across the river, going down the river on a raft made of inflated sheep skins (old time travel), jet skiing, etc. We had a go of the sand skating and camel riding. Both were a total riot. It was kind of funny that my hosts were eager to give me the push off the mountainside before I was ready! Sledding down a huge sand dune with very small hand brakes and the threat of being flipped over while carrying an expensive camera made my smile hardly genuine (see photo). It was fun, however. The camel ride was hilarious – well, it was for me, anyway. Our guide kept yelling at me in some unintelligible language (to me anyway!) because I wasn’t holding on with two hands. Apparently, she didn’t approve of me using my iPhone to record video or my camera to take photos. Go figure. All in all, it was a delightful experience at a scenically beautiful place. If you are ever nearby, it is well worth the visit!

 For a slideshow from April 29, click here.

 

Day 10 (April 28, 2010)

We arrived at the train station in Zhengzhou after dark and had a nice hot meal of the traditional long noodles with various additions to the soup. It was delicious. After a good night’s rest, my short time to visit the Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences) was upon me. I was last here in 2003. Zhengzhou is a large city of about seven million. It is the capital of Henan province with a total population of approximately 100 million people. The city is modern and growing rapidly with construction of new buildings everywhere.

As we went to Mr. Niu’s building at the institute, I was delighted to see my seminar announcement in Chinese posted as a sign outside. I presented an hour-long talk about our peach research program at Clemson and talked about the peach industry and life in America. The audience of fruit researchers was full of questions and we had a thoroughly enjoyable time talking about peaches, extension programs to help the farmers, etc.

Following the seminar, Mr. Niu took me on a tour of the peach germplasm orchards with Professor Zong Xuepu (74 years old). He reminded me of a Chinese version of my Dad. As we walked through the unique germplasm and advanced selections (including both dwarf and semi-dwarf scion cultivars), he showed me his “babies” from many years of peach breeding. The collection at Zhengzhou actually includes more than 1,000 different peach and nectarine cultivars and selections.

Professor Zong Xuepu lives in an apartment at the institute (as do most scientists there) and he is still very much a part of the academic community. He was at my seminar. Unlike in the U.S. when many scientists/faculty retire and they no longer remain active in their work, this is not the case with him. As a fruit breeder, his expertise is sought and he’s in the orchards regularly. He’s still making crosses and evaluating selections. His expertise is valued and sought by folks such as Mr. Niu and others in Dr. Wang Zhiqiang’s program. I really enjoyed walking in the orchards with him. I told him that if my Dad were here with me, the two of them would have much to share! He agreed.

We had a nice group of friends together for lunch. Just outside the institute property was a three-year-old restaurant. It was the second of it’s type that I have been at during this trip. It is basically a large greenhouse complex with a very nice restaurant built inside. We had a fabulous meal. For the first time, I had mini-sweet potatoes, fried mushrooms on a stick, and pigtail. The latter I did not have seconds on. The eggplant and beans was pleasingly spicy leaving a stinging tongue and lips (that’s the way I like it!).

At lunch, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Niu’s wife (Dr. Tian Lili) and thanking her for giving up her husband for nearly two weeks for my benefit. It was a sacrifice by her but one that built a new friendship between America and China. I trust she understood my great appreciation for her sacrifice. She is an accomplished scientist in her own right working on genetic transformation of watermelon.

Prior to going to the airport, we spent time in Mr. Niu’s office exchanging photos. He copied images off my USB memory stick and I copied images off his portable hard disk. In all, we exchanged a couple thousand photos. I was pleased to see that he captured some scenes better than I did or with a different emphasis. This certainly compliments my library and his too, I trust. Many wonderful memories were made that were digitally captured. It still amazes me that on something the size of a small, thick postage stamp, you could have several thousand high quality photographs.

Soon, it was time to go. As is the custom here, the host sees the guest off at the departure point (airport in this case) and carries your bags for you. It is humbling, really. Goodbye hardly seemed adequate words to my new friend. He would not be going with me to Ningxia. However, we agreed to stay in contact and create ways to work together in the future. Hopefully, he’ll be able to visit me in Clemson in the next year or two.

After arriving at the airport, I went to my gate and waited. After about a half hour or so, the sign indicated that the flight would be delayed. We had an extra two hours to wait. I exchanged several text messages with home, worked a bit on my blog, and rested. By the time we got to Yinchuan (Ningxia autonomous region – population about six million), it was late (10 pm). Professor Wang Zhiqiang picked me up at the airport. Actually, he’s the peach breeder and scientist at Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute (Mr. Niu’s boss) who invited me on the trip in the first place. He is in Ningxia on a one-year assignment from the Central Government to provide administrative direction and oversight to the state government agency that works with forestry and fruit. He informed me that they had a big banquet planned for me with local officials, etc., but that it had to be cancelled because of the delayed flight. Actually, I was somewhat relieved because I really needed some rest. We stopped for some delicious noodles before crashing at the hotel. My eyes would open wide the next morning as I saw a much different climate and environment than anything I have seen in China before.

To view photos from April 28, click here.

 

Days 8 & 9 (April 26-27, 2010)

After a little less than 5 hours sleep, I was awakened at 6 am to get up and get in the van for our 2-hour drive to Dangshan county (Anhui province). Bringing a large suitcase capable of bringing back souvenirs for my wife and kids was a bad idea. Not the souvenirs, that is, but the large suitcase! Mr. Niu traveled light. Another thing I can learn from him.

Mr. Sun Lixiang and the driver sat in the front with Mr. Niu and I in back. Sun is a 26 year-old greenhouse nectarine farmer. Full of youthful zeal, a swagger, loud voice, and constantly on the cell phone, he’s an entrepreneur with five greenhouses now and more in his mind! He invited us to this part of our trip and made all the arrangements for these two days. Even though we got into Xuzhou late the night before, we had a full day scheduled and could not disappoint folks awaiting us with a late arrival.

Boy, my normal 5 am mug of fresh ground, French-roasted, ultra thick and strong cup of Joe back home would have been a nice addition to this trek, but alas, a water bottle would have to suffice. Fortunately the scenery and bustling morning activity would soon captivate my attention and time of day didn’t really didn’t matter much. After all, I am in China. How many folks get to do what I am doing? Watching people head to work on their bikes and scooters, seeing vendors at the local roadside market, taking in the sights, seeing rural China and how the real village folk live – well, this is not Shanghai, that’s for sure!

After a simple breakfast at our hotel, we immediately went to Mr. Sun’s greenhouse operation. Along the way, we saw many balled and burlapped ginkgo trees that will soon be transported to Beijing for use as street trees. Each tree fetches a price of 10,000 RMB – that is pretty serious money. Dangshan county has 400 ha of greenhouse nectarines. Fruits produced here are destined for markets in Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, and Suzhou, where a good price of 18-20 RMB per kilo is standard. Asian pears used to be the number one fruit in this county but that is rapidly changing to greenhouse nectarines. Besides pears, I also observed apples and apricots being grown outdoors in orchards.

Douji village, where we were primarily visiting, had built 200 new greenhouses in the last year alone. Mr. Sun’s greenhouses were 40 m wide by 130 m long. He was growing six nectarine cultivars and selections from Mr. Niu Liang and Professor Wang Zhiqiang’s program at Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute. In this type of greenhouse with cement crossbeams and no passive solar back wall as noted on previous days accounts, the crop is only advanced about 30 days.

Our entourage included four vehicles – each with a number decal on the back window. The village officials were in the lead car. We were in Car #2. It was interesting to have a local TV reporter/cameraman along for the tour. I guess it isn’t every day that a foreign expert is touring local greenhouses in their village. (Actually, I think Mr. Sun had an angle for promotion of his new corporation with other growers in the village). He certainly captivated the reporter’s attention.

In one greenhouse Mr. Sun had reflective film both on the back wall and on the orchard floor as an experiment to improve light levels (and hopefully fruit color and quality). This was his first try and the fruit were not ready to harvest yet so no results to share. From work at Clemson several years ago, I know it works in the field. He also had a greenhouse – more of a hoop house, with a second, smaller hoop house inside it. That seemed like a little more expense than was necessary to me, but he was very proud of it.

I observed a couple riding a very rudimentary spray rig to go out to the field and spray for the spring aphids that are characteristically a problem. I don’t know what insecticides were being used but the spraying is by handgun and I did not see any protective gear for applicator or driver. I didn’t have any authority to stop them in their tracks, but knowing that it is a handgun application, I was a bit squeamish thinking that the lady was probably the one doing the spraying and that both would be exposed.

We had a fabulous lunch together with 20 around the table. More food than you could eat – plates of food stacked on top of each other. The hospitality was overwhelming from these local villagers and county officials. As I passed my iPhone around the lunch table, folks looked at pictures of my family and delighted in seeing them. We shared a bond. As people who love life, grow fruit, enjoy good food, care about family, I was among new friends. My heart was stirred. Even the cook and family/co-laborers wanted to get in on the action with a photo as we were leaving the restaurant!

Mid-afternoon was a very interesting meeting. Mr. Niu Liang, the regional fruit specialist from Zhengzhou, and I sat around the table with county officials and prominent growers for a two hour meeting. In the gallery, so to speak, were other growers who could not fit around the table. There were probably 40 people in attendance. After the official introductions and formalities, Mr. Sun spent time talking about his new grower corporation. After this, several growers began to ask questions of Mr. Niu Liang or they described problems/issues that they wanted input on. As Mr. Niu translated to me, I was able to help with several concerns – problems with wet feet/phytophthora, use of raised beds, what to do about crown gall, and issues with fungal gummosis. As I drew pictures and explained, Mr. Niu translated. I think everyone appreciated my input and comments. It took quite awhile to finish the photo session (with each and every grower, nearly!) when we were done. This was fun! We had another great dinner and I needed to work on my blog, then I retired.

On Tuesday, we had a breakfast treat, fresh sandwiches of Canis lupis familiaris, a Dangshan county specialty. To me, it tasted like a mix between lamb, beef and venison. There’s a first time for everything. As we ate our sandwiches, we traveled about an hour north and west to Fengxian county. This is actually in Jiangsu province and our destination was the farm of peach grower, Mr. Tian Fan. He had a banner strung above the road to greet me! Mr. Fan had a very nice greenhouse operation. His trees were on raised beds, there was central leader training using bamboo stakes, and it was obvious that there was attention to detail. His nectarines were spaced 1 m x 1.5 m and his greenhouses afforded a 30-40 day crop advancement compared with fruit he grew outdoors of the same cultivar. In his outdoor orchards he had rape planted in the row middles and he liked the perpendicular V training system. I liked his orchard management but encouraged him to consider a 2 m wide weed free strip under the trees.

Following the tour of Mr. Fan’s operation, we had a wonderful group luncheon together. New food items I had never had before included sheep ear and pig face. Yes, that is what I said. I did give both a try but did not take seconds. The dinner table looks like a battlefield when we’re done but everyone left satisfied! At 3 pm it was time to go to the train station for our four-hour ride to Zhengzhou. This was indeed an eye-opening two days.
To view a slideshow from April 26-27, click here.

 

Days 6 & 7 (April 24-25, 2010)

We caught the 6:10 pm flight from Dalian to Jinan (Shandong province). At 8 pm, we were met at the airport by our driver and a graduate student of Dr. Futian Peng (Professor of Pomology, Shandong Agricultural University). They took us by car on the 2-hour ride to Taian (home of Dr. Peng’s university). Dr. Peng met us at the hotel and promptly took us out for a meal at about 10:30 pm! We had a fabulous bowl of hot soup with long noodles, meat, and vegetables. That sure hit the spot. Boy did the bed feel good this night!

The first day in Taian (population 600,000) was very full. After breakfast, we traveled to visit both greenhouse and outdoor fruit production in Mengyin county. I quizzed Dr. Peng with many questions on the one-hour ride. Shandong province is the temperate fruit capital of China. They boast 300,000 ha of apple, 100,000 ha of peach, 50,000 ha of pears, 30,000 ha of grapes, 20,000 ha of sweet cherry, and 10,000 ha of apricot. Mengyin county alone has over 20,000 ha of peach. This is more than the total production of peaches in South Carolina and Georgia combined! In fact, Mengyin county is the largest concentration of peaches in China. Here they grow about 30 cultivars of peach and nectarine. However, there are 7-10 main cultivars. The harvest window is from June to mid-October. For peach, 90% is for the fresh market (mostly white, melting flesh) and 10% is for canning (yellow, nonmelting flesh). Only 15% of the total peach crop in Mengyin county is nectarine.

Orchard tree height is limited to less than three meters because all orchard operations are done from the ground without ladders. Trees are trained flat to an open-center system with 4-5 main scaffold limbs. About 95% of the orchards practice year round clean cultivation – done by hand hoeing. The average precipitation is 700 mm (less than 100 mm snow each year). 50% of the precipitation occurs between July and September. Lake Yunmeng (20 ha) is nearby. Trees are flood irrigated using canals and berms. Water for irrigation comes from a combination of ponds and wells. I saw one orchard with microsprinklers. Trees normally bloom around April 10 and hand thinning is typically conducted in mid-May. It is common to summer prune the trees once before and once after harvest. The main insect pests are aphids (early season, controlled by insecticide) and oriental fruit moth. The main disease problems are bacterial spot, brown rot, and peach leaf curl. The average orchard lifespan is 15-20 years. Trees are spaced three m x four m. The soil is somewhat coarse and lacking in organic matter. Trees are not terribly vigorous. For outdoor commercial orchards, the average farm is 1 acre per family. Most fruit produced in Mengyin county are destined to markets in Shanghai. In fact, 50% of the peaches in the Shanghai market come from Mengyin.

Our first visit was to JiuZhai village. There we met a farmer and his family who have five protected cultivation greenhouses where they were growing apricot, peach, and nectarine. I asked him if he needed an outside (off-season) job to support his wife and two children and he said no. Because his first child was a daughter and he is a farmer, he has had a second child (baby boy). We saw a newly planted orchard that has some of the cinder blocks laid and the house will be built up around the trees later this summer. The apricots would be harvested within the next two weeks. The nectarines were beautiful and coloring well. He had a great fruit set for 2 year old trees.

As we toured the county, we saw peach orchards literally everywhere. Much of the hilly land was terraced and the most of the peach cultivars were still in bloom. It was a beautiful sight to behold. We saw a young lady out pollinating peach trees by hand. I think she was moving every bit as fast as a honeybee could! Apparently, there are cultivars from Japan that are grown in China with flowers that produce little or no pollen. The day ended with a special dinner with Dean Wang Xiufeng, Dr. Peng, and a few others. Terrific hospitality, great food, singing, laughing, and loud conversation helped to establish new bonds of friendship.

After breakfast the following morning (Sunday), we went to the university where I gave an invited lecture. There were more than 30 students and faculty present at 9 am on Sunday! I guess having the Dean there to introduce me put some fear in the hearts of students who might have otherwise chosen to sleep in. It was an engaging time with excellent attention and good questions – very stimulating! They even laughed at my jokes!

After the time on campus, two of Dr. Peng’s graduate students took Niu Liang and I to China’s famous Mt. Taishan (visible from campus). This mountain range is a popular tourist spot year round. It is beautiful and a well-equipped site that can accommodate both serious hikers and low-mileage octogenarians. Because we had a train to catch in the evening, we opted not to make the 7-hour hike (up and down). Many folks in Taian take achieving this feat as a badge of honor. Maybe next time. We took a tour bus part way up the mountain and then a cable car most of the rest of the way. The mountain is 1545 m above sea level and when we finally got to the top, the temperature had dropped by at least 15 C and the wind was howling. Both Niu and I left our jackets in the car down below where it was warm (duh!). The scenery was gorgeous. I was amazed to see temples and even restaurants near the summit. I can’t think of the labor that it took to haul everything up there and then build it! If you are ever in Taian, this is a definitely a place to visit. The slogan and sign “Friendly Shandong” has surely been my experience.

We were taken to the train station by our host and said goodbye. Somehow, the sign-board and announcer in the station did not let us know that the train we were to board had actually come and gone before we found out (we were there before it arrived and departed)! We ended up taking a later, slower train with no assigned seating. We slept in the restaurant car and were met at 1 am in Xuzhou (Jiangsu province) by our friends from Dangshan (Anhui province) to take us to the hotel. A long day and still not in Dangshan yet…
For a slideshow from April 24-25, click here.

 

Days 4 & 5: April 22-23, 2010

Our time in Changli ended as we boarded the 10:30 pm train to Dalian, Liaoning province. The train station was crowded with people. The sleeping car that we traveled in was nearly full when we got on with snoring passengers in their bunks. Mr. Niu Liang and I found our places and quickly climbed to the third level of either side of our bunk area and we basically collapsed in exhaustion. It is interesting to sleep fully clothed on the third bunk in a moving train late at night in China. People all around you are making various noises, turning over, etc. Plus there are all the associated train noises and stops. Remarkably, I got some rest. For those who have been praying for me, thank you!

We arrived in Dalian city at 6:00 am. We were picked up at the train station by our host, Professor Guan Haichun (canning peach breeder, Dalian Academy of Agricultural Sciences) and escorted to our hotel to check in and get cleaned up and settled before an 8 am breakfast and heading out on tour. Dalian is a scenic seaside city that exists on a peninsula jutting into the sea with a population of about five million – not a big city, by Chinese standards. We drove more than an hour to get to the various greenhouse production areas that we visited. The highways were modern with many expensive automobiles everywhere (BMW, Mercedes Benz, Audi, Porsche, etc.). Others that accompanied us on the trip were Mr. Zhang Zheng and Mr. Lin Wenzhong.

Our first stop was a commercial sweet cherry greenhouse operation. The greenhouses here had cement back and side-walls and they were huge both in height and length. Mature fruiting trees (6 cultivars in the house we visited) were already being harvested for their high-value, early season crop. Honey bees are brought in to facilitate pollination. All of the cultivars were ones released from Dalian Academy of Agricultural Science. I saw similar cherries at the airport selling for 680 RMB for 1 kg ($50 per pound)! Because such a high price is afforded for the early cherries, they are shipped by air to major cities including Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. The fruit in the greenhouse was beautiful and tasty. This was not a low-budget operation and there were dozens of such greenhouses owned by one “big boss”.

Next we visited traditional passive solar earthen greenhouses where nectarines and peaches were being grown. Some houses had back and sidewalls constructed by stone and then reinforced with dirt. The nectarines were beautiful. No space was wasted in these greenhouses and even tomatoes were being grown up wires on the back walls. The white peaches were also very attractive. Harvest had already begun for both. Trees were two years old in the houses we looked at.

We had a late lunch and visited a restaurant where you picked out your own seafood before you went to your banquet room to eat. Because Dalian is a seaport city, the seafood (fish, shelfish, etc.) is fresh and abundant. The members of our party each chimed in to request their favorite item. I watched and enjoyed. Two highlights for lunch were the freshwater carp and the octopus. I enjoyed both. The octopus was dipped in a spicy dipping sauce and was served cold. It was delicious. As we left the restaurant, we met a statue of a wise old man holding a peach (symbol of long life) in his hand.

Before leaving Dalian, we went to a large park area at the coast. It was time to visit some of the sites tourists come to see. The park has some amazing sports-themed statues that ring the perimeter. There is a famous monument and also an immense cement “open book” structure that can accommodate hundreds of people. It is frequented by teens with roller blades and others looking for thrills on a sunny day. There were other amazing statues in and around the park. One street vendor was selling rides for children on a robot pulled rickshaw! The coastline is gorgeous and there were boats taking tourists for joy rides, fishing boats, etc. Several lovely islands dotted the coastline. A sweet breeze took away some of the heat and put the smell of salt in the air. What a delightful place! We had a wonderful time with new friends and were sorry to say goodbye. Next stop, Shandong province.

For a slideshow from April 22-23, click here.

 

Days 2 & 3: April 20-21, 2010

Following a 4-hour train ride from Beijing to Changli (population 400,000) in Hebei province, Niu Liang and I were met by colleagues from the Changli Fruit Research Institute (originally established in 1937 by the Japanese!). Professors Chen Hu, Zhao Shengjian, and Vice-Director Fu You warmly welcomed us. With about 20 minutes to get settled into my room, I was whisked off on a brief tour of their facilities and then asked to give a presentation to their scientists. What was a 1-hour presentation that I would give to an American audience lasted nearly 2 ½ hours with translation and questions and answers. I had an eager, very receptive audience, and I was delighted with their interest in the work we are doing at Clemson. We had a very nice dinner together at the restaurant at the institute and then got some needed rest. Unfortunately, the accommodations at the institute did not afford me internet access, so this update is a day late. One consolation to the lack of internet was a tray with 6 ripe, juicy mangoes waiting for me. Two were gone before bed!

On Day 3, we visited a village of 1500 residents with 1500 greenhouses, equivalent of 1 per person. These ranged from the very simple, earthen passive solar greenhouse to others with brick walls, and some that were more akin to a hoop house in the U.S. The passive solar earthen houses provide the greatest advantage in terms of advancing ripening date. They face south and with the solid earthen back and side walls, plus being somewhat excavated in the ground, they can absorb much solar energy. The large straw mats are rolled down over the house to keep the heat in. In some cases, these are rolled up and down using ropes. In other cases, a motorized system is used. We visited houses with white fleshed peaches, white and yellow flesh nectarines, plums, and apricots. The focus of the photos is on the earthen houses where white flesh peaches were grown.

Tremendous fruit loads were present on 2-year-old trees in the greenhouse. In some cases, a first harvest had already occurred. Paper bags were placed on fruits when they were small and removed as they attained proper size to develop proper red skin coloration. Trees were planted quite dense (1 m x 1 m) and flood irrigated. Plastic was on the floor to limit potential for weeds. Wires and string were used to train limbs to proper orientation. Excessive shoot growth was prevented by partial shoot removal. Plastic covering the houses was typically in three separate layers that overlapped. This enabled top or bottom portions to be spread partially open so that ventilation could occur. Bamboo cross beams made for strong but simple supports. Rags were wrapped over the bamboo at particular rubbing points to limit abrasion and tearing of the plastic.

Houses are not covered in plastic year round. Rather, plastic is removed after harvest. In the fall after leaves have dropped and chilling requirement is partially met, the plastic is reapplied. Mats are rolled down during the day to provide shading and keep the house cool and they rolled up at night – also to keep house cool. This helps to accumulate some additional chill hours so that trees have a head start once chill is met compared to those grown outdoors. Once chill requirement is satisfied, the mats are rolled up during the day and down at night on a daily basis. This routine continues until harvest. Using the earthen structure and this procedure, harvest advancement of 8 weeks is achieved. Fruit marketed to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, etc. can fetch up to 5X the normal in-season market price. The only pest issues that were noted was an occasional aphid buildup early in the season that is controlled by a one-time application of an insecticide. Otherwise, the fruit are pesticide free.

After touring all the houses, we had a late lunch. There were probably 15 different delicious dishes that were eaten with gusto and much loud conversation. We then headed 15 km to the coast for a short visit to “Golden” Beach, a tourist spot which reminded me of one of the coastal beaches in South Carolina. For one in our group, it was a delight for her because it was her first visit! Many new friends were made today. My eyes were certainly opened to the creativity, ingenuity, and simplicity of the systems used by these rural, village-farmers to produce high quality fruit for a very profitable market niche. I was also the recipient of some world-class hospitality. I still have much to learn.

For a slideshow from April 20-21, click here.

 

Day 1: April 19, 2010

Thank you for your interest to read about my trip to China! I hope that you will find some of the photos and comments interesting. I am thankful for a safe trip of more than 7000 miles and the opportunity to visit this wonderful country for my fourth time. My new friend, Niu Liang, a peach breeder from Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, is to be my guide. After a short journey from the airport to our hotel and a brief rest, we enjoyed a delicious dinner together. Then, I had a needed rest. Today (Monday, April 19, 2010) was spent in Beijing with Niu and my long-time friend, Quan Jiang, a peach breeder from the Institute of Pomology and Forestry, Beijing Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Our two primary stops included one of the city farmer’s markets and a district-owned pick-your-own market “Legends of the Fall”. The temperature was cool with light rain in the morning but warmed and cleared in the afternoon.

I was delighted to see the market. It was bustling with activity. There was a section for large-scale wholesale purchasing and another section for smaller-scale retail purchasing. There was tremendous selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, spices, mushrooms, meat, seafood, etc. Note the greenhouse-grown, yellow-fleshed nectarines (7 fruits per tray) beside the large Washington State Red Delicious apples. The greenhouse-grown white nectarines in the styrofoam cooler were between 2 and 2 ¼” diameter. They were subacid and had decent flavor. The greenhouse-grown strawberries had good flavor and were presented very attractively. Other greenhouse grown fruits included sweet cherry. Many other fruits were also on the market including durian, mangosteen, mango, kiwi, various citrus, Fuji apple, watermelon, etc.

Legends of the Fall was a very large, Chinese-style, pick-your-own entertainment farm. See the man-sized strawberry in front of one of the retail buildings. City folk visit this farm year round for fresh fruits and vegetables, education, relaxation and fun. They have more than 80,000 customers each year. There are outdoor mature peach, sweet cherry, pear, apple and apricot orchards where fruit could be picked in season. Note the attractive picnic area in front of the mature open-center (20-year-old) white-fleshed peach trees. Most of the outdoor fruit trees were just beginning to bloom and leaf out. There was a petting zoo with rabbits, chickens, goats, sheep, donkey, deer, peacocks, etc. The petting zoo had nice educational signage for children to read. A playground area was set up for small children – similar to what we would see in a county park. The main attraction this time of year was the more than 50 protected-cultivation greenhouses used for growing vegetables, strawberries, mulberries, loquat, etc. We had a nice tour of this impressive facility. Note typical greenhouse with Chinese pagota on hillside in background. The strawberry crop was winding down but fruit quality was very nice, note clamshell with ripe fruit. Also, tomato transplants were recently added to the same beds to get a second crop shortly after the strawberry plants are removed. Disposable pollination units in the greenhouses are rented from local beekeepers to ensure adequate pollination. Second leaf mulberry trees were growing productively and producing very nice fruit. Out of season, greenhouse-grown fruit, is earning a market price 5X what it would fetch in the during the regular growing season. 

For a slide of April 19, click here.