Bamboo brings big bucks to village

GUANGZHOU — The sight of clusters of bamboo drying in the sun serves as an inspiration for 48-year-old Tan Futing as he pursues prosperity.

Tan hails from Manchang village, Hedong town, which is located in Lianshan Zhuang and Yao autonomous county in Guangdong province. The village is known for producing lizhu, a kind of slender bamboo ideal for making fishing rods, ski poles and fences due to its straightness and sturdiness.

The bamboo goes through a process that involves washing, drying, screening, grading, cutting, lashing and packing.

After that, it is boxed and shipped overseas.

About 10 years ago, Huang Changkuan, Party secretary of Manchang, encouraged villagers to start businesses using lizhu bamboo.

They mainly process cut bamboo and ship it to export companies for sale overseas.

"Our bamboo is thinner and harder and has greater elasticity than bamboo from other regions, making it the preferred choice for export companies," Huang said.

Every year, the winter thaw and the pause in farming mark the start of cutting lizhu. The processing factory's small warehouse quickly fills up with hundreds of metric tons of freshly cut bamboo processed by villagers.

"I've worked here for three years. The timing of farming and bamboo processing is staggered, so I can earn two salaries a year. Thanks to this additional income, I was able to add a new floor to my house last year," said Tan, adding that he earns around 200 yuan ($29) a day cleaning bamboo, which brings him around 5,000 yuan a month, making him an additional 20,000 yuan a year.

Hedong is known for its abundance of bamboo. In 1931, Li Yongsheng, a businessman, came to the town to set up the Nanhai Yongsheng Bamboo Factory. He purchased large quantities of bamboo to sell abroad, which taught locals the value of the plant. As a result, nearly every family in the area began to venture into the mountains to gather bamboo, resulting in the growth and prosperity of the business.

Today, Hedong exports thousands of tons of bamboo to the United States, the Netherlands, Japan and elsewhere every year. There is a growing international demand for the commodity, leading to an increase in its price.

"Last year, our village sold 1,300 tons of raw bamboo to export companies, and the price of bamboo rose from 25 yuan per 100 kilograms a decade ago to 50 yuan today," Huang said. "The villagers have become rich off bamboo."

Although they rely on bamboo to boost their incomes, villagers exercise moderation in its use.

The frequency and timing of cutting bamboo are important. Cut stems can generate new shoots and grow to be even lusher than before, as long as the roots are not damaged, Tan explained, adding that the sustainability of incomes is contingent on the preservation of green hills.

"Looking ahead, we should accelerate the industrialization of bamboo, expand the factory and endeavor to ensure villagers earn more to have better lives," Huang said.

Xinhua