A small mountain county with a population of just over 100,000 in Fujian is making headlines for its industrial transformation. Mingxi County has successfully built a biomedicine industry from its abundant yew trees, a story recently highlighted in a national publication.
Mingxi County’s state-owned forest farm is home to vast expanses of yew trees, whose leaves and bark are used to extract the anti-cancer drug component paclitaxel. In the late 1990s, a single vial of this drug cost 8,000 yuan and a kilogram of raw material was worth 3 million yuan, largely due to the labor-intensive extraction process from tree bark.
Local company Fujian Southern Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. overcame this challenge by mastering artificial cultivation of yew trees and collaborating with universities to achieve breakthroughs in high-purity paclitaxel extraction. In 2001, the company was established next to the yew forest, marking the start of Mingxi’s biomedicine journey. Over the following years, the company encouraged over 4,000 local forestry households to plant trees, developing a specialized yew variety called "Southern No. 1" with higher paclitaxel content. This innovation allows for direct extraction from leaves, raising raw material utilization to 95% and product purity to 99.9%. As a result, the cost of each paclitaxel vial plummeted from 8,000 yuan to just 200 yuan.
Facing market pressures, the company diversified its product line and pursued international certifications. By investing 10% of annual revenue into research and development, Fujian Southern Pharmaceutical now controls 60% of the domestic market for taxane-based anti-tumor drugs. Its business has expanded to include other anti-tumor and non-oncology active pharmaceutical ingredients. In 2023, a new oral tablet for leukemia treatment was approved, transforming the company from a raw material processor into a full-chain manufacturer covering intermediates, APIs, and finished drugs.
The county government has supported this growth by establishing a dedicated service team for the biomedicine supply chain, offering assistance with permits and compliance. Third-party experts provide guidance on environmental safety, and a team of specially hired biomedicine experts offers strategic advice. This has attracted other companies like Fujian Furui Mingde Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to the area. As the industrial ecosystem matures, Mingxi’s biomedicine sector is thriving. From January to May 2026, the county’s biomedicine supply chain generated 228 million yuan in tax revenue, a year-on-year increase of 29.18%.
Beyond biomedicine, Mingxi has also developed two other notable industries:
Bird-watching tourism: Located on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, Mingxi has a forest coverage rate of 82.24% and is home to 349 recorded bird species, including 75 nationally protected species. The county has built 31 premium bird-watching sites across five areas, along with eight specialized tour routes. This attracts nearly 30,000 bird enthusiasts from over 30 countries annually, generating nearly 100 million yuan in local economic value. The industry has also spawned related services like bird guides and homestays, supported by years of conservation efforts including habitat restoration projects and a "Bird Protection Order."
The overseas Chinese diaspora economy: With over 17,000 residents living abroad, representing about 15.1% of the population, Mingxi is known as "Fujian’s Inland New Hometown of Overseas Chinese." The county has actively promoted the return of overseas Chinese capital, talent, and networks. A European import goods distribution center is now operational, selling daily necessities, cosmetics, and wine through online and offline channels. To support these projects, Mingxi has built a public bonded warehouse for easier customs clearance. The county has nurtured nearly 50 overseas Chinese-funded enterprises, attracting over 2 billion yuan in project investment.
Comments