In the Liaodong region, the festive spirit of the Spring Festival is palpable. Stepping into the greenhouses of Tangshancheng Town, Zhen'an District, Dandong City, Liaoning Province, one is immediately embraced by warmth and the sweet aroma of fruit, transporting visitors from the winter chill into a vibrant world brimming with berries. Clusters of blueberries, dark purple and glossy, hang heavy on the branches, while bright red strawberries, tempting and fragrant, add to the scene. These small berries not only adorn holiday tables but have also become "golden fruits" driving rural revitalization in the area.
Situated within the world's golden berry cultivation belt near 40 degrees north latitude, Tangshancheng Town benefits from its proximity to mountains and water, fertile soil, and clean water sources. Its unique microclimate provides ideal natural conditions for growing high-quality berries. In recent years, the town's Party committee and government have prioritized the berry industry as a key strategy for agricultural restructuring and increasing farmers' incomes. Focusing on blueberries as the core product, they have promoted the coordinated development of multiple varieties, shifting from scattered plantings to scaled, standardized, and branded production. This transformation has turned small berries into a catalyst for rural prosperity.
Currently, the town's blueberry cultivation area exceeds 6,000 acres, with an annual output value nearing 500 million yuan. Nearly a hundred business entities have gathered here, forming a synergistic development pattern combining facility-based and open-field cultivation. Greenhouse blueberries hit the market early, from the beginning of the year until April, while open-field blueberries fill the gap from July to September, ensuring a year-round supply of fresh fruit. Over 20 premium varieties, such as Duke and Bluecrop, are cultivated on a large scale. Modern agricultural technologies, including soilless cultivation, intelligent temperature control, and integrated water-fertilizer systems, are widely adopted, resulting in large, fine-textured fruits of excellent quality that are highly marketable.
Dandong Pengxin Agricultural Co., Ltd., located in the town, has seen its "Zhiguan" brand blueberries certified under Global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), earning a ticket to the international market. Meanwhile, Dandong Wushi Xinxiang Agriculture's "Yikoutian" strawberry base adds further luster to the berry industry. The base, situated in Yushulin Village, covers nearly 400 acres and includes over 40 high-standard warm and cold greenhouses. In collaboration with Shenyang Agricultural University, the base cultivates red, pink, white, and purple strawberries, adhering to pesticide-free green farming practices. It has passed 508 tests for zero pesticide residues for three consecutive years, truly achieving "pick-and-eat" quality.
"The period around the Spring Festival is the peak sales season. This year, we have more online orders than usual, with high-end gift boxes being particularly popular. We are shipping to all parts of the country," said Wu Zhiwei, the base manager, with a smile. "Everyone is eager to buy our trustworthy fruits."
A thriving industry brings prosperity to the people. Villagers have achieved diversified income growth through land transfers, employment, and shareholding, securing stable jobs close to home. From planting and management to harvesting, sorting, packaging, and sales, each link of the industrial chain absorbs a large number of rural laborers. This not only meets the employment needs of local residents but also creates job opportunities for villagers in surrounding towns, ensuring that the benefits of development reach a broader population.
During the Spring Festival, the greenhouses are laden with abundant harvests, and orders flow in continuously both online and offline. Each sweet-and-tangy berry carries the joy of a bountiful season, reflecting a new vision of rural revitalization where ecological beauty, industrial prosperity, and people's wealth converge.
Comments