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A cutting-edge plant tissue culture lab located at Shenlongwan, a 173-hectare forest park in Haining, Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, is pioneering new approaches to courtyard gardening and environmental education in China.

A panoramic view of the plant tissue culture lab. [Photo/Tide News]

Entrepreneur Li Zhuanghua came up with a bold decision to pivot from municipal landscaping to courtyard horticulture 15 years ago. Despite doubts from colleagues and the market, Li pursued her dream of bringing nature into everyday backyards.

Her vision gained clarity during an international trip, where she witnessed the shift in Japan and Europe from public greening to private and personalized garden designs.

The launch of an innovation center for agricultural science and technology in 2018, with an investment of 80 million yuan ($11 million), paved the way for the tissue culture lab, which has proved an inflection point for Shenlongwan Park.

After years of trial and error, the lab has developed 29 new crape myrtle varieties and several improved cultivars of nandina and holly.

The inside view of the plant tissue culture lab at Shenlongwan Park in Jiaxing. [Photo/Tide News]

But Li's ambitions go beyond profit. Shenlongwan is also a free public park, a field classroom, and a forest of hope. Through nature-based workshops, agricultural activities, and "plant cloning" tours, the park draws over 10,000 students and families annually, offering folks a breath of green, a touch of soil, and an immersive ecological awakening.

A stunning sunset takes place at Shenlongwan Park. [Photo/Tide News]