Man in China's Shanxi brings wealth to fellow villagers after developing flourishing daylily industry

Zhang Shengwei checks out some dried daylilies in Gudingqiao village, Jijiazhuang township, Yunzhou district, Datong city, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo/Shang Tiejun)

A man in north China's Shanxi Province has helped local villagers to develop a daylily industry over the past six years, which has since generated much wealth for residents living in the locality.

Zhang Shengwei, now 42 years old, was born in Gudingqiao village, Jijiazhuang township, Yunzhou district, Datong city of Shanxi. After graduating from Northwestern Polytechnic University in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Zhang became a senior executive at a metallurgy company.

Residents in Gudingqiao village used to make a living by growing corn and coarse cereals. In 2015, the village started to develop a daylily planting industry and encouraged young people who worked elsewhere to return home and start their own businesses.

Zhang Shengwei checks out some dried daylilies in Gudingqiao village, Jijiazhuang township, Yunzhou district, Datong city, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo/Shang Tiejun)

After conducting a survey on several different growing areas for daylilies located across the country as well as their various sales channels, Zhang decided to set up a cooperative in the village in order to develop a local daylily industry while helping his fellow villagers increase their incomes.

One year later, Zhang resigned from the metallurgy company and established the cooperative. He inked contracts on the transfer of land-use rights with 358 households, who transferred 500 mu (about 33.3 hectares) of farmland at the price of 800 yuan (about $115.7) per mu of land to Zhang to begin growing daylilies.

Zhang Shengwei poses for a photo. (Photo/Shang Tiejun)

Thanks to Zhang's efforts, the daylily planting area in Jijiazhuang township now totals 11,500 mu. The per capita income of local farmers meanwhile has increased from 2,600 yuan in 2017 to 5,500 yuan in 2021.

Besides, Zhang has also launched agri-tourism services, attracting more than 400 visitors per day during the peak season.