Weicheng's agricultural town sets new standard for rural development

Jiangbei Xiancao Town, an industrial park in Weicheng district, Weifang, is integrating cultural and economic growth, making breakthroughs in both dimensions.

Xiancao refers to Chinese mesona in Mandarin, a plant used to make grass jelly, a topping for milk tea. The adorably named park is a pioneer in cultivating dendrobium catenatum in northern China, a genus of orchids used in Chinese medicine in the treatment of a variety of disorders, such as nourishing the stomach.

The town boasts capability to plant endrobium catenatum in artificial environment.  [Photo by Tang Dalin for chinadaily.com.cn]

This feat mended the void of this type of plant above 30th parallel north, enabling the park to grow three new varieties of the species, successfully apply for 19 patents and notch a top-tier scientific award in the field of forestry.

Tourists take photos in the glassed greenhouse.  [Photo by Tang Dalin for chinadaily.com.cn]

Beyond its achievements in cultivating plants, the town has concluded an industrial model, mixing agriculture, herb planting, tourism and e-commerce. This agritourism-based approach has catalyzed the convergence of different industries, attracting nearly 100,000 visitors in 2023. The town is also contributing to the formation of an agricultural-themed tourism belt, exploring more possibilities in agricultural-based development models. With a strong emphasis on the synchronous growth of the entire industrial chain, the town stands as a model for rural revitalization. (Edited by Hu Haoshu)