Wanxichong: A village revived by golden pears
Wanxichong is a village lying in Chenggong district of Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan province. It is well-known for the Baozhu (meaning precious pearl) pear it produces, a variety of pear specific to this place.
For the last 10 years, the village has been keen on bringing Baozhu pears to more consumers in Yunnan and beyond through different cultural events. Thanks to these golden fruits, the income of residents there has seen a significant growth. Meanwhile, villagers have agreed that pear trees – as a treasure to Wanxichong – should be protected by all.
March and April are the two months in a year that tens of thousands of people flock to Wanxichong to appreciate blooming pear trees. Since 2012, the annual Pear Flower Festival has always played as a major tourist attraction of this small village. And as the income of each household keeps increasing, the livelihood of villagers has been greatly ameliorated.
Due to the mild climate, Wanxichong has long been an ideal place to grow vegetables, flowers and fruits. And Baozhu pear is the most popular produce. Every year during the Pear Flower Festival, tourists from Yunnan and across China are lured to Wanxichong to watch pear blossom and taste juicy pears.
“As more people would like to buy Baozhu pears for family consumption, the price has seen a significant rise over the past few years,” says Tang Yue, a local resident of Wanxichong. According to him, pear trees have changed the destiny of this village completely.
Before, villagers had no choice but to take ripe pears to the markets nearby to sale. But today, followed by the Pear Flower Festival as well as other cultural activities and events, Baozhu pear is no longer a local produce, but a famous commodity which is recognizable to consumers from Yunnan and even across China.
Tang Yue feels proud, especially when he watches swarms of tourists coming to the village for those golden and scrumptious pears.
He says there are around 316 hectares of pear trees in Wanxichong at present, which produce nearly 7,000 tons of quality Baozhu pears a year. “We once had difficulties to promote our pears. But as Baozhu pears become well-known in not just Yunnan but the entire country, there is nothing to worry about the selling,” Tang explains.
Today, Wanxichong village is on the way to expand its pear industry by developing more processed food products. Dried pear and pear jam are two examples.
According to the local authorities, the annual per capita income of Wanxichong village was only 8,900 yuan about 10 years ago. This figure, however, has come to 23,800 yuan today, which is over two times than before. “I have never thought that pear trees could change our life so profoundly and make us happier than ever,” one villager tells the reporter.
As Tang Yue says, the village has recently been developing a series of food products in relation to Baozhu pear. Jelly and popsicle with pear flavor as well as pear wine are among them. Furthermore, as one after another old buildings and yards are transformed into café, bookstores, restaurants and teahouses, the life of every resident there has seen a substantial improvement.
Writing by Chai Jing; trans-editing by Wang Jingzhong; photographs from Xinhua