Workers are operating the production line at a walnut processing enterprise in Zanhuang County, Shijiazhuang City. In April, within the mountainous Taihang region of Hebei Province, the village of Sanliugou in Zhangshiyan Town, Zanhuang County, is home to thousands of acres of chestnut trees distributed across the slopes. This period marks a critical season for grafting and managing the fruit trees. Hu Guisuo, a 54-year-old villager, ascends the mountain path to tend to his nearly one thousand chestnut trees, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Chestnut prices have been favorable in recent years, leading to better income. They have genuinely become a fruit of prosperity," he remarked.
Sanliugou village, once remote and isolated deep in the mountains with no dominant industries, faced challenges in increasing villagers' income. The village committee identified the vast mountainous resources and led residents in cultivating chestnuts. Today, the village's chestnut planting area spans nearly 10,000 acres, yielding over 1,500 tons of fresh chestnuts annually. The chestnut cultivation initiative alone has boosted per capita income for villagers by more than 10,000 yuan.
The narrative of achieving a win-win situation for both ecological conservation and increased income through the forestry and fruit industry is evident throughout Zanhuang County. Baojiatan village's cultivation of green, pollution-free cherries has spurred scaled development across 7 townships and more than 90 villages. Linggendi village has established a 2,000-acre apple planting base. Songhui village is deepening its focus on the grape industry, planning to develop an integrated rural complex featuring wineries, leisure tourism, and agricultural product exhibitions.
Hao Junli, a member of the leading Party members group of the Zanhuang County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, explained that by leveraging characteristic planting industries, the local area has established a production model of "government + leading enterprises + planting bases + farmers," an operational model of "government + research institutes + cooperatives + farmers," and a sales model of "company + e-commerce + brand." This approach has paved a development path characterized by standardization, branding, and industrialization.
Currently, the county boasts 20 major categories and 159 varieties of characteristic economic forest fruits, including chestnuts, cherries, grapes, and walnuts. The total planting area for forest fruits exceeds 1.1 million acres, with three major industrial bases established: 450,000 acres for jujubes, 400,000 acres for walnuts, and 50,000 acres for specialty fruits like chestnuts, cherries, and apples. The total output value of the forestry and fruit industry has reached 2.8 billion yuan, contributing over 2,400 yuan to the per capita annual income of farmers.
A thriving industry leads to rural revitalization, and the prosperity of the people enhances the beauty of the countryside. From the widespread success of specialty forest fruits to the booming popularity of rural cultural tourism and the upgrade of agricultural product processing, Shijiazhuang has, in recent years, systematically promoted the development of county-level industries aimed at enriching the people, based on local resource endowments and industrial foundations. Efforts include advancing the transformation and upgrading of the agricultural product processing industry, exploring multiple functions of agriculture, and fostering the growth of distinctive rural industries, as well as new sectors and business models such as rural leisure tourism, cultural experiences, and rural e-commerce. The vision of "thriving industry, prosperous people, and beautiful countryside" is gradually unfolding across the land of Hebei.
Jingxing County in Shijiazhuang is an ancient county with a thousand-year history and profound ceramic cultural heritage. The county integrates the construction of beautiful and harmonious villages with the development of the cultural tourism industry, leveraging its landscape to develop rural tourism. Old residential buildings have been transformed into cultural and creative homestays, creating new service and consumption scenarios that are flourishing throughout the countryside.
Walking along the bluestone paths in Nanhengkou Village, Jingxing County, one can touch the textures of time. Ancient kiln sites stand quietly, narrating a cultural lineage spanning millennia. During the recent Qingming Festival holiday, tourists from various places flocked to the area to admire the ancient village, engage in pottery making, and sample local cuisine. Representatives of intangible cultural heritage were on-site, teaching hands-on skills like wheel throwing, shaping, and painting. "It's meaningful to not only tour the ancient village and feel its historical depth but also to let my child create pottery firsthand. This immersive experience is very valuable," said Li Lina, a tourist from Baoding.
Villager Li Liangzhen has meticulously maintained her idle old courtyard, making it clean and elegant, with wooden windows and stone walls exuding warmth. "Many tourists visit now. The homestay alone brings in thirty to forty thousand yuan a year. I can earn money right at home," Li Liangzhen stated.
Comprehensive rural revitalization requires robust organizational support. Shijiazhuang adheres to a model where Party branches lead the way, cooperatives drive effort, and farmers benefit. It encourages village Party organizations to establish cooperatives, cultivates new types of business entities, and explores diverse pathways for the integrated development of Party building and industry, achieving shared prosperity for both collectives and farmers.
In Anxia Village, Luquan District, tourists capture memorable moments along the popular "Lovers' Road." Visitors stroll in front of quaint stone houses, savoring the local charm, while the aroma of stewed dishes wafts from farmhouse courtyards. "With its setting against mountains and water, and proximity to the urban area, this is an ideal spot for a weekend getaway," said tourist Wang Bin, who rented a farmhouse with his family to fully enjoy the rural atmosphere.
"In 2021, the village established the Zhuoyuan Tourism Farmers' Professional Cooperative, led by the Party branch, adopting a 'Party branch + cooperative + farmers' model to promote rural industrial revitalization through Party building," explained Wang Zhenshan, Secretary of the Anxia Village Party Branch and Director of the Village Committee. By integrating cultural commerce, themed dining, and farming experiences, the cooperative has developed rural tourism projects like "Mountain Field Central Restaurant" and "Dream Snow Village." The cooperative's revenue reached 3 million yuan, enabling nearly a hundred villagers to find employment and increase their income locally.
"In the next step, we will focus on improving the quality and efficiency of industries that enrich the people, continuously broaden channels for increasing farmers' income, and cultivate agriculturally strong counties, industrially significant counties, and renowned tourism counties based on local conditions. We will promote the integrated development of industry, county strength, and people's prosperity, making industries more vibrant, the countryside more beautiful, and farmers happier," said Zhang Lijiao, a member of the leading Party members group of the Luquan District Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau.
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