Nan Tang DAO Chronicle (Part One): Birth, Gathering, and Conflict

In March 2025, I conducted a field study in Sanhe Village, Sanying Town, Fuyang City, Anhui Province (formerly Nantang Village) for a period of one and a half months. During this time, I conducted in-depth interviews with 14 respondents, including core members of the Nantang DAO, local agricultural cooperative staff, and villagers. I also participated in the Nantang DAO novice program, daily affairs of the Nantang Agricultural Cooperative, and the Nantang Unknown DAO translation team. Although the time was short, I had many reflections. I saw the efforts of local partners to put the ideals of DAO into practice and observed the numerous challenges faced by pioneers in the field of rural construction DAO. These issues are not only unique but also reflect some common difficulties in the current development of DAO.

The "Nantang DAO Chronicles" series is divided into seven parts. These texts aim to objectively document the stories of change-seekers in this land—those idealistic glimmers dedicated to rural construction, the frustrations and perseverance encountered in practice, and the most authentic human connections. If these stories can resonate with more people or provide some inspiration for rural builders and Web3 explorers, then that is where their value lies.

This article is the first and second part, mainly introducing the background of the South Pond DAO's emergence in Nantan Village, the gathering of the "Seven Elders", and the conflicts between the South Pond Cooperative and DAO members.

Birth

The democratic gene of Nantang

In 2025, in a "ordinary" village in China, a grassroots team composed of young people and villagers has already begun to tackle problems - in August 2024, the Nantang DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization dedicated to rural development, was officially established. Unlike the vast majority of DAOs in the world, all members of Nantang DAO reside in the village and live locally, thus forming a counterbalance to the original agricultural cooperative in the village. Of course, this is a joke; the "headquarters" of Nantang DAO is actually located in the cooperative's courtyard, making it a case of intermingling. However, introducing the concept of decentralized autonomous organizations to the fields is indeed a groundbreaking endeavor in China. This village in Sanhe Town, Yingzhou District, Fuyang City, Anhui Province, has gained prominence with its pioneering ideas from the crypto world, attracting experts and scholars from all over the country to discuss "Rural Construction DAO", and even unprecedentedly hosting a Web3 "hackathon".

You may be curious about what charm this village possesses that can attract so many Web3 elements to gather here, and why the first rural DAO was born here? Why was it once jokingly referred to as "the Jerusalem of China's Web3"? In fact, behind the coincidence lies inevitability—the democratic genes and cultural accumulation that this land has nurtured over the past thirty years are the deepest answers. From the well-known farmers' rights protection organization to the first localized practice of "Robert's Rules of Order", the seeds of democratic governance have long been sown here.

Regarding farmers' rights protection organizations, it may seem somewhat untimely to bring it up today. However, at the turn of the century in China, during the era when "farmers are truly suffering, rural areas are genuinely poor, and agriculture is really dangerous," such spontaneously formed organizations in rural areas significantly advanced the modernization of Chinese agriculture and left a profound mark in the history of rural construction. This village in Anhui is both a participant and a witness to this grand rights protection movement. In the 1990s, the central government implemented tax and fee reforms, and in certain areas of Fuyang, the burdens on farmers were layered and intensified, with corrupt officials colluding with local thugs to collect taxes, leaving the common people in dire straits. At that time, Yang Yunbiao (Brother Biao), who had just graduated from Northwest University of Political Science and Law, represented the villagers to petition in Beijing but faced various accusations, threats, and even illegal detention. In this context, local villagers believed that only by establishing their own organization could they change the rural situation. Thus, the "Farmers' Rights Protection Association" was born. In 2004, at the initiative of the renowned agricultural expert Wen Tiejun, the village prepared to establish the "Nantang Agricultural Cooperative," marking a gradual shift in their main objectives from confrontational rights protection struggles to organizational construction and development—moving from "crying for rights" to "smiling for rural construction." During this period, many constructive cultural, community, and economic activities began to develop, such as the Elderly Culture Festival, mutual assistance in farmers' cooperative funds, senior associations, women's associations, and activity centers for left-behind children.

As everything gradually returned to calm, a democratic practice innovation from the Nantang Cooperative once again attracted external attention—In 2008, "Robert's Rules of Order," a classic Western parliamentary procedure, took root for the first time in rural China. The key figure driving this transformation is Yuan Tianpeng, a returnee who personally experienced parliamentary rules at the student council of the University of Alaska in the United States and has been dedicated to the localization practice of parliamentary rules since returning to China. By chance, through the introduction of freelance writer Kou Yanding, he made connections with Yang Yunbiao from the Nantang Cooperative and personally visited Nantang. Here, the three of them engaged in repeated discussions and trial-and-error with the villagers, and finally, after several months, refined the "Nantang Thirteen Rules" (also affectionately referred to by villagers as the "Radish and Cabbage Rules") that suited local realities; this localized innovative practice of parliamentary rules quickly sparked widespread attention from academia and media both domestically and internationally, becoming the most recognizable cultural symbol of Nantang. Looking back, what is particularly valuable is that it successfully stripped away the elitist colors of Western parliamentary rules and transformed them into a truly rooted and operable democratic practice paradigm. The practice in Nantang proves that the realization of democracy is by no means a castle in the air, nor is it the exclusive domain of the elite, but rather a set of operable systems that can take root at the grassroots level through specific methodologies. This practice provides valuable local experience for grassroots democratic construction in China and demonstrates the strong vitality of democratic institutions in rural China.

established Nantan DAO

Consciously organizing farmers and discussing matters according to the "carrot and cabbage rules" is undoubtedly a valuable cultural gene of Nantang. However, so far, everything that has happened in the Nantang cooperative has not intersected with elements of Web3. When it comes to linking cooperatives with Web3, one person cannot be overlooked — Liu Bing. In 2011, Liu Bing accidentally learned about the democratic practices in Nantang Village online. Curious about the local "carrot and cabbage rules," he went to Nantang alone as a volunteer. At the same time, American anthropology PhD student Matthew Hale also came to Nantang to conduct his field research on China's new rural construction movement. In this village, deeply connected to the land, they had imaginative discussions on contemporary topics such as "the Argentine workers' factory occupation movement, how blockchain technology can promote the emergence of decentralized economic systems, and how to facilitate the development of cooperatives." During a casual conversation, he recommended Bitcoin to Liu Bing and even offered to give him a Bitcoin (which was priced at about $1 at the time). This experience planted a seed in Liu Bing's heart, and from then on, the wheels of fate began to turn. He started to pay continuous attention to the dynamics of the virtual currency industry. Since 2013, he invested in Bitcoin and participated in a crowdfunding campaign launched by a trading platform aimed at global internet users in 2014. After achieving financial freedom, Liu Bing began to give back to Nantang. Initially, he donated a certain cryptocurrency directly to the Nantang cooperative and tried to educate the cooperative members about blockchain technology, digital wallets, and other new concepts, but the results were not ideal.

In the next period, two major events occurred in the Nantung Cooperative and the domestic Web3 field. First, the cooperative's mutual assistance fund project collapsed. Affected by factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, the funds lent out by the cooperative could not be recovered, plunging it into a debt quagmire. At the same time, a certain DAO organization also completed its transformation from a company to a DAO and quickly rose to become the largest DAO community in the country. Through connections made by Liu Bing, Gu Yi, Wang Debin, and others, in 2023, the cooperative leader Yang Yunbiao had in-depth discussions with the founder of a certain DAO, Bai Yu. Both sides began to realize that the combination of Web3 and rural areas could not only attract more young talent and business resources but could also bring new possibilities to the cooperative, which was deeply mired in debt. At this point, the combination of Nantung and Web3 was fully prepared, just lacking the right opportunity.

Unsurprisingly, the first to borrow the favorable wind was a certain DAO. In May 2024, several members of this DAO traveled to Nantang for交流考察. In the Nantang Sush, transformed from a rural primary school, Mark sat with the visitors under the Bodhi tree, recounting the cooperative's struggle over the past twenty years. These stories deeply moved the Web3 explorers present, who exclaimed that Nantang was simply "the Jerusalem of China's Web3." This interesting meeting ignited the enthusiasm for cooperation on both sides, and the DAO subsequently organized several trips for its members to study and exchange ideas. Almost simultaneously, the cooperative launched its first internship recruitment plan, opening its doors to young people with aspirations for rural development. Thus, people from two entirely different fields, rural construction and Web3, began to collide ideas and learn from each other on this vibrant land of Nantang. It was in this energetic atmosphere that another favorable wind quietly arose—a truly grounded Web3 organization was gradually shifting from dream to reality.

In June 2024, in the magical city of Shanghai, an event called "Ethereum Public Summer" organized by LXDAO and ETHPanda was being intensively prepared, and a wonderful encounter over 700 kilometers away was about to happen. With the introduction and funding from Liu Bing, partners from the Nantang Cooperative in Fuyang, Anhui, stepped into the world of Web3 for the first time. Here, they met LXDAO member Tiao, who was preparing for a keynote speech. Reflecting on that moment, Liu Bing said he could no longer remember the exact content of the speech, but he distinctly remembered that after Tiao finished speaking, Yang Yunbiao's son excitedly grabbed Liu Bing's hand and shouted, "I like Tiao, I like Tiao! I want to take him back to Nantang!" This innocent moment was viewed by Liu Bing as a destined connection. In the following days, Liu Bing's in-depth discussions with LXDAO member Yu Xing gradually shaped the idea of "Web3 settling in Nantang." Soon, members from a certain DAO, along with Yu Xing and Tiao from LXDAO, arrived in Nantang as the first group of residents to embark on this special practice. To attract more Web3 partners to participate, Liu Bing promised to provide a reward of 0.1 certain cryptocurrency (approximately 2000 RMB) for each participant coming to Nantang; then, to create a more sustainable incentive mechanism, Liu Bing decided to establish a dedicated treasury to facilitate communication between Nantang and Web3 based on everyone's suggestions. Once the financial issues were resolved, organized work began, and on July 28, 2024, the first proposal for the Nantang DAO, written by Yu Xing, was released, marking the formal operation of this innovative organization aimed at integrating Web3 technology with rural governance; a month later, the proposal for the establishment of Nantang DAO was approved by LXDAO, marking the formal establishment of a deep cooperative relationship between Nantang DAO and LXDAO, and affirming its status as an independently operating entity.

From the grand rhetoric of building "the Jerusalem of China’s Web3" to the DAO organization centered around Nantang beginning to take root, this area has seen too many fresh developments in just two short years. The Nantang Cooperative saw a glimmer of hope amid the cloud of debt and turmoil, and everything seems to be evolving toward a better place.

Gathering and Conflict

Gathering: Nantang DAO Seven Elders

"Creating connections while maintaining differences, nurturing hope in uncertainty."

With the support of Liu Bing's Web3 incentive program, the news quickly spread across various online DAO communities, and more partners gradually arrived in Nantang, including