GUIYANG: As autumn sets in, a stroll into Chaxiang Village in Gujiao Town, Longli County, located in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, unveils a picturesque scene.
Alongside a meandering concrete road lie roxburgh rose fruit farms of various sizes. The bushes are adorned with numerous golden roxburgh rose fruits, filling the air with their delightful aroma.
Under the autumn sun, local villagers are busy gathering roxburgh rose fruits into baskets, while large trucks stand by to transport tonnes of these fruits to a nearby processing plant.
Shaped like an orange sea urchin with a delightful sweet-tart flavor, roxburgh rose fruit holds a special place in Guizhou’s economy. Rich in vitamin C and various essential microelements, this fruit is used for making jam, tea and wine, and can even be candied. Moreover, its stems and roots find use in traditional Chinese medicine.
Longli County belongs to the Bouyei-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Qiannan and is located in the middle of the Miaoling Mountains. Thanks to its warm climate and ample sunshine, Longli is very suitable for the cultivation of roxburgh rose fruits, earning it the title “County of roxburgh rose fruits in China.” Yan Qihua, a 60-year-old farmer from Chaxiang Village, deftly plucks ripe roxburgh rose fruits from his field. As he moves amongst the bushes, he carefully selects the fresh, mature roxburgh rose fruits adorned with their vibrant orange hue.
Yan started cultivating roxburgh rose fruits at the age of 38 and boasts over two decades of farming experience. –Agencies
