Flowers promote rural development

Guan Hailei plants lotus flowers at a greenhouse in Yanjiang village, Ningbo. [Photo/Yuyao News]

Guan Hailei, a resident of Yanjiang village in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, has been planting lotus flowers for six years, and his blooming flowers have become a key to promoting the village's development.

Over the past six years, Guan has planted dozens of varieties of lotus flower with a cultivation area of more than 6,000 square meters. Every year, he cryopreserves lotus seeds in October, revives them, grows seedlings in ponds in May, and then transplants flowers to pots after three months of cultivation.

"We've just sent 100 pots of lotus flowers to the local plant market," said Guan, "This year, customers have been placing orders since March. We sell nearly 200 pots of flowers every day."

According to Guan, the flowers are mainly sold in cities in the Yangtze River Delta region, including Shanghai and Hangzhou, and are popular among customers.

Guan's flowers have not been sold online, but he has hope for his booming business.

"I'm too busy to engage in online selling and livestreaming. But I think my business would benefit from doing so," he said. 

The blooming flowers, which make Yanjiang village a hot spot among visitors, are currently regarded as "Common Prosperity Flowers" for villagers.