A LOCAL farmer who has spent more than 40 years developing new strains of grain recently applied his scientific knowledge to a more artistic endeavor: the creation of a multi-shades-of-green map of China made entirely from rice plants.

　　Chen Jinxiang, 71, who owns a small farm in the village of Zhonghong in Jinshan District, said the idea came to him earlier this year as he was preparing his land for planting.

　　“In my career as an agricultural researcher, my priority was finding ways to create rice that was both tasty and nutritious,” he told Shanghai Daily.

　　“But I also had this desire to make the plants themselves more beautiful, so I began looking at ways to create hybrid crops in a variety of colors,” he said.

　　Since retiring, Chen has developed more than 400 different shades, but it was only this year that he concocted a plan to show off his colorful creations.

　　“I came up with the idea to create the map in May and then spent several weeks preparing the plot,” he said.

　　“I had to decide where all the different plants should go to create the image, so I started by making an outline with a length of rope and hundreds of pegs.

　　“I then dug 380 ditches and filled them with the seeds of the plants I wanted to produce the different tones,” he said.

　　Planting the “map,” which covers about 400 square meters, was only the beginning, however. The difficult part was ensuring it grew correctly, Chen said.

　　“I had to check on the plants almost every day, pulling up weeds that would have spoiled the final image and making sure there weren’t any pests eating into the design,” he said.

　　His hard work paid off, and earlier this month, the living artwork became clear for all to see.

　　Far from being simply an outline of the Chinese mainland, the rice map is a multicolored, multi-textured facsimile of 34 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and special administrative regions.

　　“In the past I used to create simple designs by sticking different colored grains of rice to wood and card, and people thought I was crazy,” Chen said.

　　“But my dream was always to create a living map. Now no one thinks I’m mad, and everyone wants to come and see it.”

　　Since blooming, the grainy image has attracted hundreds of visitors, he said, adding that several people have told him they traveled all the way from the city to view his masterpiece.

　　Despite his rapid rise to fame, Chen said he has yet to be approached by any would-be apprentices, keen to learn the art of rice cultivation.

　　“My son and daughter both support what I do, but they have good jobs and don’t want to work on the land,” he said.

　　“But that’s ok. I’ve always been a farmer and this is my passion. I love being one with nature.”