Local specialties fuel economic boom in China's mountainous Guizhou

Core Insights - Guizhou Province has transformed its agricultural landscape by developing distinctive industries, particularly in beef, tea, and chili peppers, to promote rural revitalization and increase villagers' income [1] Agricultural Industry Development - Tongren City has focused on the matcha industry, establishing 61,600 mu (approximately 4,107 hectares) of high-standard tea gardens and one of the largest matcha manufacturing workshops globally, producing 4,000 tonnes annually [4] - Zunyi City has developed the chili pepper sector, creating a marketplace known as "China Chili City," with annual sales of dried chili peppers exceeding 1 billion yuan and total output value of the chili industrial chain reaching over 2 billion yuan [6][7] - Zhenning Bouyei-Miao Autonomous County has capitalized on its unique climate to cultivate honey plums, generating over 20,000 yuan per mu and increasing local villagers' per capita annual income from less than 2,000 yuan to 22,000 yuan over the past decade [9][10] Economic Impact - The chili industry in Zunyi has driven income growth for 500,000 rural households, including over 100,000 former poverty-stricken households [7] - Liuma Town in Zhenning has become the first town in the province with an annual output value exceeding 1 billion yuan, with honey plums recognized as a national geographical indication product [10] Future Opportunities - Guizhou Province is leveraging its rich cultural and tourism resources to explore new agricultural opportunities, including sour soup and buckwheat, ensuring broader benefits from development [11]