French TV crew explores blooming beauty, agricultural heritage of Xinghua

Gael Caron, a cameraman with France Televisions, films a girl sketching in the rapeseed flower fields. [Photo/Taizhou Daily]

While the rapeseed flowers in Qianduo town, Xinghua, Taizhou are in full bloom, a team from the Shanghai branch of France Televisions visited the area on April 7 to film a feature showcasing its breathtaking scenery and rich cultural history.

France Televisions reporter Amauld Boutet learns how to row a double-oared boat at the Qianduo Rapeseed Flower Scenic Area in Xinghua, Taizhou. [Photo/Taizhou Daily]

Reporter Amauld Boutet interviewed Yang Mangnyu, a 72-year-old local resident from Dongwang village, who shared insights into the secrets of the centuries-old Duotian agrosystem. Yang also taught Boutet how to row a traditional double-oared boat through the scenic waterways.

Duotian, meaning "raised fields", is a unique agricultural method developed in Xinghua. Farmers build small patches of fertile land by hand, lifting them above water levels to create islands of farmland surrounded by canals.

The Xinghua Duotian Irrigation and Drainage System has been recognized as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure, and the Xinghua Duotian Agrosystem is listed as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.

The feature is scheduled to air on France Televisions in mid to late April.