With rice fields as canvases and rice seedlings as brushes, vivid “rice field paintings” have become a stunning landscape in the picturesque countryside. Recently, in the rice fields of Changjiazhuang Village, Hehualu Sub-district, Licheng District, Jinan, huge “rice field paintings” planted by the villagers have taken shape initially. One can go atop the tall tower by the fields to have a panoramic view of two “paintings” in distinct styles.

One features elements of Jinan, famous as the “City of Springs”, including the city’s Spring Emblem (the “quanbiao”), lotus flowers, egrets, the architectural design of the Olympic Sports Center, and the phrase “I am just fine in Jinan” in Chinese, showcasing the enthusiasm and vitality of Licheng District of Jinan. The other “painting” includes the number “75”, the five-starred red flag, and the architectural design of Tian’anmen Gate, symbolizing best wishes for China for her 75th anniversary.

The creation of innovative and vivid rice field paintings is not a simple task; it involves the use of modern information technology. GPS technology is employed to insert stakes, draw lines, and outline the painting. Then different varieties of rice are planted at designed patches correspondingly. As the rice seedlings grow, their color tones keep changing. Upon the rice’s reaching maturity, the large-scale “rice field painting” will be finished, becoming a stunning landscape in the picturesque countryside of the City of Springs.

In recent years, the Hehualu Sub-district in the Licheng District of Jinan has combined efficient modern agriculture with the cultural tourism industry through the approach of “social benefits + economic benefits”. Leveraging the unique advantages of rural scenery, the sub-district has integrated its secondary and tertiary industries to form industrial revitalization clusters. It has also organically combined the integrated development of agricultural and cultural tourism with rural revitalization, generating consumer appeal and influence, continuously exploring rice-based new paths for rural revitalization.

Today, the “rice field paintings” in Hehualu Sub-district, Licheng District, Jinan, have become not only a striking brand for leisure agriculture in Licheng, but also an internet-famous attraction for numerous tourists and aerial photography enthusiasts. In the meantime, Hehualu Sub-district has launched a series of activities featuring sightseeing and picking, scientific education, labor practice, farming experience and farming culture. These activities have also become important means to boost rural tourism, increase farmers’ income, and support rural revitalization. (Source: Licheng District Convergence Media Center)