Southwest China's Guizhou province is not known for traditional flower plantations. However, suitable climate and fertile soil, coupled with immense scope for agricultural innovation, are igniting the business instincts of people near and far, and attracting them to start up floral businesses.
For instance, Annie Leung, hailing from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, visits Hezhang county in Bijie, Guizhou, to collect the flowers her startup grows for sale in Hong Kong. During a trip to Hezhang county with her mother in 2017, Leung was deeply impressed by the purple leek flowers all over the mountain, and decided to start up a floral business there.
Up on Wumeng Mountain, at an altitude of over 2,000 meters, Leung established flower farms. Within three years, she built 517 greenhouses and 400 flower cultivation bases. She had over 30 chrysanthemum varieties — such as white fan chrysanthemum and olive green — planted successfully, and also introduced foreign breeds such as Hokkaido lavender and cherry blossom.
At present, there is a wide variety of high-value, precious flowers planted at the base, including over 5 million cherry blossoms and over 200,000 Annabelle hydrangea bulbs. But, from the market's perspective, demand is so high that floral products from Hezhang are always in short supply.
Read more at chinadaily.com.cn