Sanmenxia City in Henan Province is currently experiencing the peak sales season for Red Fuji apples in Yaotou Village, Xizhang Town, Shanzhou District. Trucks shuttle busily in front of cold storage facilities as workers diligently sort and pack crates. These boxes of apples, symbolizing peace and prosperity, are being dispatched nationwide. As the Spring Festival approaches, the air in western Henan's Sanmenxia is filled not only with the festive atmosphere but also with the sweet fragrance of fruit. In the orchards of Sihe Mountain in Lingbao City, grower Liu Haiyang is loading the final batch of festive apple gift boxes from his warehouse. Meanwhile, near the cold storage in Yaotou Village, Xizhang Town, Shanzhou District, continuous truck traffic and busy workers loading crates illustrate the vibrant activity. In Sanmenxia, these "golden fruits" are rapidly creating a dynamic modern industrial chain, painting a new spring landscape of thriving industry, beautiful countryside, and prosperous farmers.
Efficient logistics are crucial for meeting the vigorous demand of the Spring Festival consumer market, testing modern urban-rural circulation systems. The journey of an apple from branch to palate has become remarkably smooth. "Previously, merchants faced challenges with meals and accommodation when purchasing apples. Now, logistics reach directly to the village entrance, making it very convenient!" said Wang Jun, a merchant from Yantai, Shandong, at his procurement point in Wang Village, Xizhang Town. He reported purchasing over 500,000 kilograms of apples this year, nearly 200,000 kilograms more than last year. "Improved circulation efficiency reduces our procurement costs and allows growers to get better prices—a win-win situation," Wang Jun added. Yang Hairang, Director of the Sanmenxia Transportation Bureau, explained that the city is vigorously promoting the integrated development of rural passenger and cargo transport and postal services. The goal is to achieve full coverage at county and township levels by 2026, with village-level coverage reaching 90%. "We aim to achieve 24-hour home delivery in administrative villages, fully畅通 the two-way channel for agricultural products to reach urban markets and industrial goods to reach rural areas," Yang stated. Currently, Lingbao City has established a three-tier logistics network comprising county centers, township hubs, and village service stations, handling up to 70,000 apple shipments daily.
At the rural logistics service station in Yuling Town, Lingbao City, integrated resources from postal services, express delivery, and public transport allow villagers to send and receive packages, purchase agricultural supplies, and access government services. "Previously, shipping a box of apples to Zhengzhou took three days; now it arrives the same day and costs two yuan less," said grower Zhang Qian with a smile. "Apples picked in the morning can be delivered to urban homes by evening—extremely fresh!"
Smooth sales are driving changes in production and processing. While people prepare for the upcoming Spring Festival, the "spring planting" of Sanmenxia's apple industry has quietly begun. In Sihe Township, Lingbao City, a recently tendered agricultural social service project will soon commence, with professional companies providing unified pruning for nearly 26,000 mu of fruit trees and renovating old orchards. "This is key to enhancing brand premium," said Zhang Hailong, Party Secretary of Yan Village. "Previously, growers pruned trees individually, leading to uneven techniques and inconsistent quality. Standardized social services improve quality and command better prices." At leading enterprise Lingbao Gaoshan Natural Fruit Co., Ltd., a multi-million-yuan intelligent sorting line operates at full capacity, grading apples precisely by sweetness, color, and size, enabling premium apples to be sold individually. "High-end gift boxes from our core production areas can fetch up to 10 yuan per apple, far exceeding returns from standard fruit," said General Manager Li Xuzhao. The sorting line handles over 50,000 tons annually, boosting both efficiency and added value.
Industrial upgrading is comprehensive across the region. In Shanzhou District, beyond apples, a diverse array of fruits creates a vibrant scene. In Liulin Village, Gantang Street, the "Meng Xiaoli" brand plums, through standardized orchards and cooperative mechanisms, achieved a total output of over 17 million jin in 2025. "Our plums are popular for their excellent taste and high quality," said Li Meng, Chairman of the Sanliu Plum Farmers Cooperative. "In 2025, we partnered with e-commerce platforms, using live streaming to sell nationwide, doubling sales compared to the previous year." Hongqi Village's Shanzhou Red Pears, known for superior quality, are steadily exported via foreign trade companies. Data shows Sanmenxia's garden fruit output reached 2.8622 million tons in 2025, a 1.6% increase. Apples account for over 70% of production, forming the pillar of local agriculture. Shanzhou's diversified fruit industry supports an annual output value of 2.2 billion yuan, comprising 39% of the district's total agricultural output, robustly supporting rural revitalization.
Evolving sales channels and production upgrades foster dynamic, diverse industrial formats. The traditional model of waiting for customers is obsolete; Sanmenxia's fruit industry now thrives on deep online-offline integration and multi-stakeholder collaboration. Online, live streaming e-commerce and innovative marketing provide continuous momentum. At Lingbao's apple live streaming base, hosts enthusiastically promote local apples. "Our apples come from core regions with long sunlight exposure and significant day-night temperature variations, resulting in crisp sweetness and abundant juice," said host Li Na, showcasing apples while answering viewer questions. "Orders placed today ship immediately, arriving tomorrow." The third Sanmenxia E-commerce Short Video and Live Streaming Competition in 2025 attracted over 1,000 entries, significantly boosting online sales of apples and other specialty products. Postal service-organized "traceability live streams" achieved single-session sales exceeding one million yuan. "Live streaming lets consumers see growing conditions and harvesting processes, ensuring confident purchases," said Wang Kaifeng, General Manager of Sanmenxia Postal Branch. "We will introduce more innovative marketing to broaden awareness."
Offline, production-sales platforms and grassroots initiatives form a solid foundation. At Xizhang Town's "Apple Industry Representative Liaison Station," representatives, technical experts, e-commerce platforms, and growers meet face-to-face, registering needs and facilitating contracts directly in orchards. "Monthly对接 sessions enable direct grower-merchant interactions, cutting intermediaries and raising incomes," said Cui Jianya, Town People's Congress Chair. "In 2025, the station facilitated over 10 million kilograms of apple transactions, increasing growers' income by more than 20 million yuan." Rural shops like Yang Nianhong's in Wang Village have transformed into "convenience service points" or "information bridges," assisting merchants with accommodation and growers with sales, successfully mediating nearly 500,000 kilograms of apple transactions. "Having run this store for over 20 years, I know growers and merchants well," Yang said. "Now I help growers find buyers and merchants secure supplies—everyone trusts me." Deeper integration is evident in reshaped industrial ecosystems. Leading enterprises, cooperatives, and logistics are tightly linked, forming seamless chains from planting and sorting to cold storage, sales, and delivery. "We have order-based agriculture partnerships with major supermarkets and e-commerce platforms, securing sales in advance so we can focus on production," Li Xuzhao noted.
The value-adding journey of an apple reflects Sanmenxia's clear path toward comprehensive agricultural chain development. The city innovates integrated service models across agricultural production stages, addressing challenges like financing difficulties and high costs through measures such as loan interest subsidies. Annual high-quality farmer training programs for over 2,000 individuals build essential human capital for sustainable industry growth. Promotion of superior crop varieties, with coverage exceeding 98%, optimizes crop structure and enhances product competitiveness. The 2026 Central Document No. 1 emphasizes integrated development of technological, green, quality, and brand agriculture, exploring multiple agricultural functions, and deepening rural primary, secondary, and tertiary industry integration. "We will intensify agricultural technological innovation, adopting drones, IoT, and robotics to boost efficiency and quality," said He Yaowu, Vice Chairman of Sanmenxia CPPCC and Director of the Municipal Agriculture Bureau. "Simultaneously, we will strengthen brand building, developing more renowned brands like 'Lingbao Apple' to expand the reach of Sanmenxia's fruits."
"We steadfastly regard the apple industry as a key pillar for comprehensive rural revitalization and agricultural modernization," said Xu Xiangfeng, Secretary of the Sanmenxia Municipal Party Committee. "Moving forward, we will continue efforts to make the 'Lingbao Apple' golden brand shine brighter, strengthen this prosperity-driving industrial chain, and truly establish Lingbao apples as 'golden fruits' propelling regional high-quality development."
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