At the foot of Mount Tai in Shandong's Tai'an, villagers are braving the winter chill to harvest what they call "soft gold"—Polygonatum, a medicinal herb known locally as "immortal's surplus grain."
"Three years as a vegetable, four as medicine, and seven as treasure," said Qiu Lei, a farmer from Gengzhuang Village, while cleaning the freshly dug roots. With an annual yield of 15,000 yuan per mu (about $2,100), Polygonatum cultivation brings nearly ten times the income of traditional crops.
Gengzhuang Village, nestled in the hilly outskirts of Mount Tai, has found its niche in cultivating Polygonatum, a perennial herb from the lily family prized for its health benefits. The local variety, distinguished by its brown-yellow color and chicken-claw shape, is one of Mount Tai's "Four Famous Medicinal Herbs," alongside Lithospermum, Fleeceflower Root, and Codonopsis.
Village Party Secretary Chen Lanjun explained that the area's sandy loam soil is ideal for Polygonatum growth. In 2018, the village adopted an innovative "company + base + specialized village + cooperative + farm" model, supported by guaranteed pricing and technical assistance. This system has revitalized over 2,800 acres of forested land, with mass harvesting set to begin in 2024.
"A single harvest can yield 80,000 to 100,000 yuan per mu," Chen noted. The village collective also earns service fees for organizing the harvest. Currently, nearly 300 households grow Polygonatum, producing over 100,000 kilograms annually and generating more than 4 million yuan in collective income.
To maximize value, local company Taishang Polygonatum Bio-Tech processes the herb into over 80 products, including tea, wine, and ready-to-eat slices, achieving an annual output value of 620 million yuan. Leveraging research from the Mount Tai Polygonatum Industrial Technology Institute, the company has refined traditional methods to enhance the herb's bioavailability.
The region has also integrated Polygonatum into tourism, offering experiences like ancient processing techniques, culinary tastings, and herbal workshops. "After hiking Mount Tai, visiting the 'Immortal Valley' was unforgettable," said Zhao Man, a tourist from Gansu, who enjoyed hands-on activities and local delicacies.
Today, Tai'an's Daiyue District boasts over 20,000 acres of Polygonatum cultivation, supporting nearly 1,000 farming households and 30 processing enterprises—transforming patches of "golden roots" into mountains of prosperity.
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