Prosperous jasmine industry boosts rural revitalization in Hengzhou, S China's Guangxi

Aerial photo shows the Chinese Jasmine Garden, also a popular scenic area, located in Shijing village, Hengzhou city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [People's Daily Online/Fu Huazhou]

Hengzhou city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a renowned production base for jasmine flowers, has turned the small flower into a prosperous industry, supplying over 60 percent of the world's jasmine flowers and jasmine tea.

In 2022, the city's jasmine planting area reached 128,000 mu (8,533.33 hectares). The annual output volume of jasmine flowers and jasmine tea reached 100,000 tonnes and 80,000 tonnes, respectively. Hengzhou has over 130 flower tea enterprises. Hengzhou jasmine flowers and Hengzhou jasmine tea are protected geographical indication products.

This year, the overall comprehensive brand value of Hengzhou jasmine flowers and Hengzhou jasmine tea exceeded 22.2 billion yuan ($3.05 billion). Hengzhou jasmine flowers (and tea) have become the most valuable agricultural brand in Guangxi for several consecutive years.

As a renowned brand, Hengzhou jasmine flowers have brought wealth to flower farmers.

Lei Shuiping is a local farmer who planted jasmine flowers on 4 mu of land. Under perfect conditions, Lei's annual income from every mu of land can reach between 20,000 yuan and 22,000 yuan.

"Most villagers lived in bungalows before they began to plant jasmine flowers. Now, villagers earn more money through planting the flower, with each family having a building of two or more storeys and a private car. Some villagers have a house in urban areas," Lei said.

In recent years, Hengzhou has extended the industrial chain of the jasmine industry, building an industrial cluster that incorporates jasmine flowers, tea, potted plants, food, tourism, catering, and sports and wellness industries, among others, said Chen Yongjing, deputy director of the city's service center for the jasmine industry.

The jasmine industry has helped nearly 10,000 people who were previously impoverished increase their incomes and led about 330,000 flower farmers to prosperity.