TAIYUAN: Although winter is a slow season for most farmers in north China, villagers in Jiangxian County, Shanxi Province, are busy fertilizing and pruning hawthorn trees on farms and shipping the tiny red fruits from 14 refrigeration warehouses.
Located on the northwestern side of Zhongtiao Mountain, Jiangxian County is the source of the Sushui River, a tributary of the Yellow River.
The unique mountainous climate means the county is ideal for the growth of hawthorn trees, and it has a complete industrial chain that covers the primary, secondary and tertiary industries.
According to Jiangxian County records, the county’s hawthorn plantation developed in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and flourished in the 1980s. In 1984, the county government decided to name the hawthorn tree the “tree of the county.” –Agencies
