Golden ear mushrooms Photo: VCG

Editor's Note:

This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). A new year begins with new resolve and new momentum. The call to "fight for our dreams and our happiness, and turn our great vision into beautiful realities" continues to inspire actions across China.

In the column "New Year on the Frontlines," reporters from the People's Daily traveled to the grassroots to witness the vitality of a vast nation, see its mountains and rivers in motion and its fields in abundance, and listen to the stories of people finding fulfillment in both life and work. 

Through these stories, the column seeks to present a vivid portrait of Chinese modernization. 

As the Chinese New Year arrives, Chen Guohua is busier than ever. The first thing he does every day when he steps out is to check on his mushrooms. "Demand is high during the Spring Festival holiday. We need to harvest this batch quickly and notify the buyers to pick them up," he says.

Chen opens the door to Unit No. 4. Inside, on tiered shelves, golden ear mushrooms grow in dense, plump clusters, their color a vibrant yellow. He gently touches one of them. "This year's harvest is looking good!"

Chen is from Lijiacang village, Chutouling township, Jizhou district in North China's Tianjin Municipality. He left his hometown to work elsewhere at age 20. At 31, he returned with his savings and followed his fellow villagers into mushroom farming.

Golden ear mashrooms grown in a smart cabin Photo: Liu Junbo from People's Daily

In his first few years of mushroom cultivation, Chen often felt frustrated. "We put in the hard labor and sweat, but the money just wasn't there," he recalls. Later, the town organized study sessions, during which Chen learned that morels could sell for several hundred yuan per half kilogram in the market. Intrigued, he began experimenting with growing them. 

However, just as the mushrooms were about to fruit, a spell of rainy weather struck. Unable to control the humidity properly, he watched a large patch of the newly sprouted morels rot overnight. During that difficult period, Chen felt he had aged more than 10 years.

Township officials visited his home to analyze the situation with him. "Just blindly following trends won't work. You can't abandon the tradition of meticulous cultivation," they advised. "But also, working in isolation without new knowledge isn't the answer either. You need to try out new technologies."

What exactly did "new technologies" mean? Through expert lectures, Chen came to understand three key concepts: standardization, factory-style production, and intelligent systems.

In the autumn of 2025, while visiting an enterprise in Zhejiang Province to learn, Chen encountered a "smart mobile growth chamber." "You just plug it in, close the door, and inside, it's a world of smart technology," he marvels. 

He saw automated misting nozzles operating on a timer, the ventilation fans adjusting automatically, and the red indicator lights blinking on the sensors. He immediately placed an order for six units, intending to use one specifically for golden ear mushrooms, which are notoriously demanding regarding their growing environment.

Thanks to the integrated design of the chambers, they were quickly assembled and set up after being transported back to Tianjin. Once settled into their new "smart home," the golden ear mushrooms visibly changed day by day, evolving from a tender yellow to a rich, golden-orange hue. 

When the time came for the first harvest, Chen's hands trembled slightly as he cut into a mushroom - the flesh was firm and dense, brimming with moisture. Outside the chamber door, buyers were already lining up to place orders. Reflecting on his journey, Chen remarked, "I used to think of myself as an experienced old hand. Now, I feel like a rookie learning the ropes all over again."