Chongqing - Deep in the heart of the Three Gorges, a silent revolution is flying through the mountain mists. Heavy-duty drones navigating the cliffs of Wushan, Chongqing, are no longer a futuristic novelty; they have become the backbone of grassroots farming in one of China’s most challenging terrains.

A Bridging News reporter witnessed such a scene on Jan. 15 during a media event in Wushan, Chongqing. This technological leap was the latest chapter in a decade-long transformation of the Yangtze River’s ecological and economic landscape. In Wushan, the traditional reliance on the river has shifted. Following the implementation of the 10-year Yangtze fishing ban, local communities have traded their nets for orchards, reshaping the region’s economy.

In Xingsheng Village, a small community of just 300 residents, orange groves now blanket about 2.7 square kilometers of once-rugged terrain. However, the very topography that produces these citrus fruits poses a logistical nightmare for harvest.

Orange groves span 2.7 square kilometers on the mountains of Xingsheng Village, Wushan, making transportation difficult. (Photo/Kenny Dong)

To solve this, the village has turned to the skies. To speed up the harvest and bypass the grueling manual labor of trekking up and down steep slopes, drones have become the primary couriers.

"We just lifted this batch from below, and it only took about a minute," one drone operator said. "For a single drone, we can run about 40 sorties a day. Each flight carries 100 kilograms, so we can transport around 4 tons of fruit in a single day."

This efficiency is vital for a region that has staked its future on ecological harmony. The transition from fishing to fruit farming is part of a broader effort to protect the Three Gorges’ fragile ecosystem. For a decade, the intervention has been comprehensive, from reforesting cliffs to curb soil erosion to enforcing an “iron-fist” policy against fertilizer runoff and industrial pollution.

Beyond the orchards, the commitment to the river remains visible. Constant debris removal and rigorous water quality monitoring help keep the Little Three Gorges a pristine corridor.

Wushan has transitioned from a vulnerable waterway to a fortified ecological shield for the Yangtze’s upper reaches. As drones carry the bounty of the mountains to markets, they represent more than just efficiency; they are a symbol of a new era where high-tech innovation and environmental stewardship grow side by side.