Cultivating a fascination with farming

Harvesting popularity

This newfound interest in agriculture is made evident through the popularity of the British documentary, Clarkson's Farm.

The show follows television presenter Jeremy Clarkson as he endeavors to run his own farm, providing a humorous and sometimes candid look at the realities of agricultural production. Both seasons of the series have received praise from Chinese viewers, earning a stellar 9.6 out of 10 points on the review site Douban.

In a similar vein, the farming-themed program Become a Farmer stands out as one of the most widely discussed and popular Chinese reality shows in the past year.

The show authentically portrays how a group of individuals in their 20s, who previously worked in the entertainment industry, undergo the complete agricultural process — from sowing seeds and irrigation to fertilization and harvest — on a roughly 10-hectare plot over a 200-day period.

The production unit conducted training sessions for these youths in carpentry, masonry, fire safety and culinary skills. Prior to starting their rural lives, they were required to learn how to operate agricultural machinery, including tractors and rice and corn harvesters.

Going beyond the documentary-style reality show format, the production unit facilitated audience engagement by hosting regular livestreams. The first season of the show included over 100 livestreams, amassing a total viewership exceeding 170 million on Sina Weibo and Douyin. Many netizens actively participate in these livestreams by leaving comments to express their concern about the participants' progress.