Lotus flowers make a difference in Sichuan’s economy

Lotus abound in southwestern China, particularly in Sichuan where the beautiful aquatic flowers are making a difference in the booming tourism as well as in the industry-driven economy of the province.

In the Yonghe Modern Agricultural Park, vast lotus flowers plantation have contributed so much in the poverty alleviation program of the province.

“In the past poor people here earned only nearly 800 yuan a month, but after the establishment of the industrial park, those employed in the lotus plantation can earn as high as 4,000 yuan a month,” Jiang Yong, deputy director of the agricultural park, said in a recent interview with Asian journalists.

Jiang said many companies have set up lotus flowers plantation since the local and national governments have started the construction of the Yonghe Modern Agricultural Park in 2014.

“This project has alleviated the poverty and expected to improve the lives of the people because of additional reservoirs that will be constructed in the coming years,” he said.

The 160 square kilometer agricultural park located near Suining City covers 55 administrative villages, including 11 poor villages, which have total population of 65,500 people.

The government has invested a total of 2.2 billion yuan in the project, hoping to realize an annual output of 10 billion yuan primarily from plantation of lotus and other flowers as well as fruits, grains, vegetables and trees by 2018.

The target is to also create 30,000 job opportunities for the villagers and help them realize a per capita net income of more than 20,000 yuan within five years.

Jiang said the agricultural park has been attracting good number of tourists who likes to go out for sightseeing and holiday tour.

Since its establishment, the park has lifted over 5,000 residents in six poor villages out of poverty, some of them are now living in modern villages and enjoying infrastructures constructed by the government.

Aside from Yonghe Modern Agricultural Park, Shenglian Island is one of the famous tourist spots in Sichuan due to 24 different kind of lotus flowers from various countries covering a wide pond at the center of the island.

Seated at the mid-stream of Fujiang River and at the heart of Suining City, Shenglian Island is also named “World’s Lotus Exposition Park.”

“If you want to enjoy the sight of peony, go to Luoyang; if you want to enjoy the sight of lotus, come to Suining,” stated in the city’s promotion handbook.

Shenglian Island covers an area of is 1.52 square kilometer and linked with Suining City’s business centers and downtown through underwater tunnel.

Under city’s urban planning, the island will be divided into ecological exhibition, tourism experience zone, holiday recreational zone, hotel zone, living support zone, business zone and some other cultural tourism-oriented segments.

Lotus grows in shallow and murky waters and considered as sacred by the Buddhists and Hindus with its beautiful flowers open in the morning and petals fall in the afternoon.

(Jelly Musico is a reporter of Philippine News Agency and current Intern of People’s Daily Online).