Gansu famers see bumper Chinese angelica harvest

Plenty of Chinese angelica - a traditional Chinese medicine plant - was laid out along the riverside of the Diezang River in the Min county, Gansu province, on Feb 6.

Farmers in Min county were busy drying Chinese angelica in the sun to prepare for them for sale after the Spring Festival.

Min county is known as the "Hometown of Chinese Angelica" due to the wide cultivation of the plant in the area.

Farmers in Min county dry the Chinese angelica. Chinese angelica (angelica sinensis) is commonly known as dong quai in Chinese as it belongs to the Apiaceae family. A well-known Chinese medicine used over thousands years, the plant is called "female ginseng".[Photo/xinhuanet.com]

 In 2014, the local farmers received a bumper harvest of 2, 3467 hectares of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, including Chinese angelica and codonopsis pilosula.

Farmers in Min county lay out the Chinese angelica to dry in the sun. Chinese angelica (angelica sinensis) is commonly known as dong quai in Chinese as it belongs to the Apiaceae family. A well-known Chinese medicine used over thousands years, the plant is called "female ginseng".[Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Chinese angelica (angelica sinensis) is commonly known as dong quai in Chinese as it belongs to the Apiaceae family. A well-known Chinese medicine used over thousands years, the plant is called "female ginseng".

Chinese angelica grows in the cool temperatures of high altitude mountains in China. The yellowish brown root of the plant is harvested in fall.

Farmers gather the Chinese angelica in Min county. [Photo/ xinhuanet.com]

By Li Xiaoxu and edited by Jacob Hooson