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Wenjiang develops horticulture industry to revitalize rural economy

Two more flower and tree appreciation spots are taking shape in Wenjiang district in Chengdu city, cementing the district's status of being a future flower hub in China and helping revitalize its rural economy.

Bonsai garden

The first one is a bonsai garden project at Baihua community in Shouan town, the birthplace of Sichuan-style bonsai, the art and skill of growing miniature trees in containers.

More than 60 households, or 80 percent of local population, are engaged in the cultivation of bonsai in an area of 40 hectares in their respective courtyards and family plots.

Shrewd farmers have set up shelves to showcase their finest bonsai works; some are renovating their homes into homestays or teahouses to beckon more tourists and investors, an effective method that brought them more than one million yuan in sales in just the past half year, according to the community’s Party chief Yang Chao.

Centering on its bonsai legacy and industry, Shouan town plans to build a comprehensive industrial project integrating catering, entertainment, leisure, tourism and culture so as to boost local economy.

Crape myrtles

Less than 2 kilometers away from Baihua community is Tuqiao village that is renowned for crape myrtles. The village has a planting history of crape myrtles for over 50 years and the planting area has reached 133.3 hectares.

To deal with the declining market of crape myrtles in recent years, Wenjiang Flower and Landscaping Bureau applied a supporting fund of 1 million yuan to help Tuqiao build Ziwei Garden, which is a scenic spot highlighted with crape myrtles.

Based on 33.3 hectares of crape myrtles, Ziwei Garden is now equipped with supporting facilities of roads, viewing platform and a walkway. It is filled with traditional culture elements of Sichuan and currently has more projects under construction.

According to Zhou Xingshu, secretary of the Party's general branch in Tuqiao, over 2,000 tourists pay visit to the garden per day. Tuqiao held the first rural tourism festival last September and attracted over 80,000 tourists during the late blossoming season. The second festival is currently being prepared and will commence this July.

Apart from the tourism festival, Ziwei Garden offers shares to the villagers to encourage them to take part in the operation. Villagers also run a farm stay that can entertain around 1500 people at the same time.

The integration of horticulture and tourism has become a regional feature of Chengdu. Yang Sizhong, deputy director of Wenjiang Flower and Landscaping Bureau, said the city encourages villagers to unite together to explore business opportunities and realize rural revitalization.

A view of the walkway in Baihua Bonsai Garden. [Photo/huamu0101.com]