Tradition and tech team up to preserve 'orchard in the sky'

Growing together

Another factor that makes Shichuan particularly unusual is that the orchard is not separated from daily life.

Ancient pear trees stand beside and even inside homes, line village roads and spread across family courtyards. Generations of residents have lived among the trees, creating a landscape in which agriculture, ecology and community life are deeply intertwined.

"We don't just grow pear trees. We grow up with them," said Wei Zhouyu, who cares for 16 pear trees and learned orchard management skills from his father and grandfather.

The orchard is protected through a community-based management system that reflects this long-standing relationship between people and trees.

More than 6,000 ancient trees are cared for by farming households, over 2,600 by agritourism operators and around 600 by the orchard's protection center. In total, 1,765 households remain involved in cultivating and protecting the orchard.

Yet many of the caretakers are between 50 and 70 years old, highlighting the challenge of passing traditional knowledge to younger generations.

To encourage continued stewardship, local authorities provide annual subsidies totaling around 2.4 million yuan ($350,000) for irrigation and tree maintenance, while conservation staff take responsibility for trees that no longer have dedicated caretakers.

"We need to preserve these traditional skills, but we also need to attract new generations to join the effort," said Han Lei, deputy director of the protection center.

The close relationship between people and trees has also created economic opportunities for local communities.

In addition to pear production, residents operate farm stays, restaurants and tourism-related businesses linked to the orchard's seasonal landscape and agricultural traditions.

According to local authorities, the annual pear blossom season attracts more than 900,000 visitors and generates tourism revenue exceeding 90 million yuan.

"Visitors come to see the blossoms in spring and pick pears in autumn. We sell pears and run farm stays, and tourism has brought us new sources of income," said local farmer Wei Konglu.

For the FAO, this integration of ecological conservation, traditional agriculture and rural livelihoods is one of the orchard's defining strengths.

During a field assessment conducted before its GIAHS designation, FAO experts examined the orchard's conservation practices, traditional farming knowledge and local agricultural industries, describing it as an example of how agricultural heritage can continue to generate economic value while preserving ecological and cultural resources.

"Resilient to droughts and floods, the system sustains agrobiodiversity, food security and rural livelihoods, reflecting harmony between tradition and ecology," the organization said.

Supported by both inherited knowledge and modern conservation measures, the orchard remains a working agricultural landscape where ecological protection and rural livelihoods continue side by side.

Contact the writers at huyumeng@chinadaily.com.cn