Resources catapult Ningxia to prosperity

Editor's note: China has seen tremendous changes nationwide, from economic growth to environmental protection, from social improvement to cultural progress. In this series, China Daily maps the changes and tells the stories of the people who lived through them.

Goji berries, wineries and clean energy propel rapid development in region

Goji berry, also known as wolfberry, has nurtured one of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region's nine pillar industries. Last year, the comprehensive output value of the ubiquitous fruit in the region reached 25 billion yuan ($3.7 billion).

Goji has been a primary ingredient in traditional Chinese, Korean and Japanese medicines for thousands of years, and products derived from the fruit are common worldwide as health foods or alternative medicine remedies.

On the east side of National Highway 110 and about 5 kilometers north of Zhenbeipu West Film City in Yinchuan, Ningxia's capital city, a goji berry town is set to open to the public later this year.

Started in 2010, the plantation has blossomed into a modern farm, incorporating water-saving drip irrigation technology instead of relying on traditional flood methods. Drones have also been introduced to protect the berries from disease and pests.

"It's not only a goji plantation, but also a place where people can pick and eat the berries. It's a place all about goji culture," said Hao Xiangfeng, a national model worker and chairman of Ningxia Berylgoji, which is in charge of developing the town.

When it reaches full operation, the town is projected to generate an output value of 70 million yuan in two years and create more jobs for its residents.

Ningxia's goji berries account for 55 percent of China's total output. By 2025, the total goji plantation area in the region is expected to reach about 46,000 hectares, the output of the fruit will reach 700,000 metric tons and the comprehensive output value will eclipse 50 billion yuan.