Shanxi village finds budding fortune in daylily planting

Despite only having three hours of sleep, Yang Qi still had boundless excitement when talking about daylilies.

It's harvest season for the nutritious yellow flowers. Farmers in Yunzhou district of Datong city in Shanxi province wake up at 3 am and work until 8 am to cultivate the freshest tasting daylilies, an important ingredient in Chinese cooking.

"You may not believe it, but daylilies helped over 50 families in my home village, Xiayujian village of Yunzhou district, get rid of poverty. Now daylily planting has become a main industry in Yunzhou district, and our products have been sold across the country," Yang said.