A fruitful return

"My family grew grapes in the 1990s. Although we didn't receive much income from it, since we grew in the open air without enough technical skill, I still had an obsession with it and it held a lot of appeal."

Carrying both the savings he accumulated in Beijing and his enormous enthusiasm, he went back home and was quickly engaged with his grape farming. His family had 0.19 hectares of land at that time, and he took part in technical training and learned how to build a brand.

Just as he was starting out on his new journey, however, life dealt him a heavy blow. In 2010, while walking in the road, he was knocked down by an electro-tricycle, which smashed his right kneecap and resulted in a spiral of unwanted consequences. The injury cost all of his savings and more, forcing him into a debt of 400,000 yuan, before, ultimately being registered as a poor household in the village.

"That was when my wife left me, believing I would not be able to pay off the debt. I felt so desperate that I considered giving up and selling the vineyard," says Zhang.

When village officials became aware of Zhang's desperate situation, they ensured he would receive funding and technical assistance, which dispelled his misgivings. They helped Zhang to secure a loan of 80,000 yuan with the village as the guarantor, and one-to-one technical support from fellow villager and successful grape farmer, Yang Zhiming. Yang would visit Zhang's vineyard to check on his grape crops, and offered Zhang a wealth of advice and grape-cultivating knowledge.

After receiving Yang's guidance and other training, Zhang set up rain shelters for his grapes, instead of growing them in the open air. The first harvest earned him 60,000 yuan, which offered him new hope for the future.

With the proper skills, the quality and quantity of his grapes continued to improve, until he gradually enlarged the size of his vineyard to 4.47 hectares.

"Within just two years, I paid off the debt, and can earn about 1 million yuan each year now," says Zhang.

With an annual grape festival held in Guoyuan village attracting many people, sales channels for his grapes are always ensured.