Today, strawberry production in Beijing totals 500 million kilograms annually, with a major portion coming from Changping district. [Photo by Sun Tao/China.org.cn]

"One mu (0.07 hectares) of land could produce strawberry worth 50,000 yuan (US$7,867). That amounts to the output value of several mu of cornfield," said Zhang Fengyi, who was the local leader when Wang served as an official in the village. 

She now has already turned her cornfields into farms of strawberry. "Growing strawberry saves us a lot of time and labor. People living in Beijing's downtown areas often drive here on the weekend to buy our strawberries, which also reduces our costs in transportation."

Besides bringing higher income for the local villagers, Changping's strawberries are also gaining ground to become a world-famous brand.

In 2008, Changping won the bid to hold the 7th International Strawberry Conference, with an aim to promote its strawberry culture around the world. Zhang made time to travel to Spain to learn more about how to grow strawberries and expand the market, in a bid to adapt the project to local conditions in Xingshou county.