Golden blooms drive rural vitalization in Kaiyang

Villagers are happy with the harvest of chrysanthemums. [Photo/WeChat account of Kaiyang county]

In October, Maoping village in Fengsan town, Kaiyang county, shines with clusters of golden chrysanthemums.

In recent years, Fengsan has focused on attracting talented individuals from outside the town to boost rural vitalization. The town encourages skilled individuals to return and support their hometown's development by creating a talent platform.

One such entrepreneur is Yang Yi. In 2023, he returned to Maoping village to help drive its industrial development. Teaming up with three partners, Yang launched a chrysanthemum cultivation project. Together, they tackled everything from seed selection to planting and nurturing, determined to build a thriving chrysanthemum base. Despite initial challenges, their hard work bore fruit as the trial plots bloomed successfully. This April, they leased over 100 mu (6.67 hectares) to expand.

Today, the two types of chrysanthemums cover a total of 120 mu and have an estimated output value of 840,000-1.1 million yuan ($117,936-154,440).

"The base has helped 30 to 40 local villagers increase their incomes by 15,000-20,000 yuan annually," says Zhao Fengqin, one of the partners. "Next year, we plan to expand the base to 500 mu, create a unique Maoping chrysanthemum brand, and invite everyone to join us in celebrating this local bloom."