Xifeng's cole flowers revitalize countryside

Pingshang village in Xifeng county is now embracing one of the spring's gifts – 20 hectares of bright yellow cole flowers dance in a terraced field, prompting passers by to stop and stare.

"Most tourists will not miss the time when the cole flowers bloom. Thousands of little yellow dots create a picturesque landscape," said He Jianxiong, director of Pingshang village committee.

But there is more to it than that. "We have created a 'sharing garden', where cole flowers and rice have been planted," said He. "Tourists come here not only for the view, but also to experience what it feels like to be a farmer, and that is refreshing to most urban people", He added.

Agricultural products in the sharing garden sell for some 1 million yuan annually. When finished rapeseeds are sold at 6 yuan ($0.9) per kilogram, villagers can enjoy a 300,000 yuan income on a yearly basis. Similarly, rice brings another 550,000 yuan annually to the village.

An abandoned grain mill in the village has come into use again, where villagers extract oil in ancient ways.

Villager Deng Liang said that he and his wife are busy all year round. "My wife and I usually plow the land in the chrysanthemum garden when we have finished our work in the sharing garden," he said, referring to another garden to be planted with chrysanthemum seedlings from Jiangsu province in the mid-April. The couple earns 50,000 to 60,000 yuan for their work in gardens.

Pingshang village has been trying to integrate rural ecotourism into all parts of agricultural processes in recent years. By the end of 2020, 67 hectares of chrysanthemum and 21 hectares of rice had been planted in the village. More than 20 rural hotels and three farm-stays are owned by villagers.