Lavender industry becomes cash cow in NW China’s Xinjiang

The lavender industry has helped transform fortunes in Huocheng county, Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Lavender has been developed into a pillar industry of the county, with the annual output value exceeding 1 billion yuan (about $155 million). The plant can be made into various products, including essential oil, and promote the development of lavender-related tourism.

The industry brings a net income of more than 2,000 yuan per mu (1 mu is 667 square meters) to local farmers and a per capita annual income of over 10,000 yuan to residents who work in lavender-related tourism, which is also thriving in the county.

Huocheng celebrates the lavender tourism festival every year, which usually draws large crowds of visitors. According to statistics, between January and May 2021, the county received more than 2.12 million domestic visitors, generating tourism revenue of about 1.24 billion yuan.

With a planting area of 50,000 mu (about 3,333 hectares), Huocheng is the largest lavender production base in China and the third largest in the world.

Lavenders bloom in the Ili River valley in Huocheng county, Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Courtesy of the media convergence center of Huocheng county)