A horse-pattern patch of wheat designed by a local farmer in a field in Ma'ao town, Dinghai district, Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province [Photo/jrdh.zjol.com] 

When agriculture meets creative art design, an ordinary field may be turned into a beautiful picture that decorates the rural landscape. 

This is what has happened in Dinghai district of Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, where creative agriculture has taken place over the past year, which has in turn boosted local tourism and its rural development. 

"We grow a patch of wheat in a horse pattern, which covers 0.3 of a hectare, and grow rape flowers around it so that the horse pattern will be vividly shown in early April, when the yellow flowers blossom and the wheat is still fresh and green," said Sun Zhou'en, director of an agricultural cooperative in the district's Ma'ao town. 

Sun said that the cooperative focused merely on crop farming until last year when he started to apply some creative designs to the fields under the support of the local authorities.

"We planted a 'heart' in the field last year and attracted thousands of visitors, which enhanced our cooperative's reputation and boosted the crop sales," added Sun. 

With rice, wheat and oilseed rape as the main crop varieties, Dinghai district has produced many beautiful art works on the fields near the Zhoushan Cross-sea Bridge and some highways, to contribute to the construction of a beautiful islands city.

An oilseed rape field on one side of a highway in Dinghai district, with bears the pattern of four Chinese characters, meaning "beautiful agriculture", on which grows the rice [Photo/zsdinghai.com]

"The patterns are chosen from people's daily lives, as well as from characteristic local signs and slogans, which are natural and reflect the local culture," said Liu Jieqi, deputy director of the district's agriculture and rural affairs department.