BEIJING: The Gaolan Shichuan Ancient Pear Orchard, about an hour north of Lanzhou in Northwest China’s Gansu province, has become one of the country’s leading examples of how agricultural heritage can fuel modern tourism without sacrificing authenticity.
In 2025, the orchard system was designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, joining a growing list of landscapes recognized for preserving living agricultural traditions while supporting local development.
“We used to sell only pears,” farmer Wei Zhouyu said, looking up into the gnarled branches of centuries-old trees. “Now we sell spring blossoms, summer refreshments and autumn fruit, while welcoming visitors for homestays and hands-on farming experiences.”
Around him, visitors wandered beneath a canopy of pear trees, balancing cups of soft pear coffee and posing for photos among the orchards.
More than 9,400 pear trees in the orchard are over a century old. Rather than standing in orderly commercial rows, they are scattered among family courtyards, vegetable plots and winding village lanes.
“For us, this international recognition has created tremendous opportunities,” said Zhao Guijun, director of Gaolan county’s ancient pear orchard protection center. The designation has raised the orchard’s international profile, attracting visitors and government officials from countries including France, Germany and several African nations, while bringing additional resources for conservation, Zhao said. During this year’s pear blossom season, more than 1 million visitors came to see the hillsides transformed into a sea of white blossoms.
“I feel so grateful to visit this beautiful and peaceful countryside,” said Henry Hoffman, an economic development specialist from Albuquerque — Lanzhou’s sister city in the United States. “Seeing traditional agriculture still alive is wonderful, and the fruit is delicious.”
Robert Mark Nelson Jr., another visitor from Albuquerque, said the small town reminded him of home.
“Meeting local people and tasting the fruit grown here has been a wonderful experience,” he said. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
