Zhejiang lotus ponds a blooming industry

In the sweltering midsummer in Huanxi village, Tonglu county, Zhejiang province, pink and green lotus flowers greet visitors as the local people, wearing headlamps and knee-high rubber boots, head to the lotus ponds before sunrise.

Summer represents the busiest time for local lotus farmers, who are out every day working tirelessly to harvest, dry, process and manufacture lotus products.

"Due to the prolonged high temperatures this year, lotus seeds are ripening earlier than usual. Harvesters usually head to the ponds around 4:30 am," said farmer Zhang Yong.

Lotus cultivation in Huanxi has a history of nearly 1,000 years, and lotus seeds from the village once even served as tributary offerings in ancient times. This year, a large area has been planted with fruit lotus, mainly for fresh consumption.

Zhang said lotus seeds are sold individually, with about 40 seeds weighing some 100 grams. In the lotus processing facility, skilled workers move baskets of peeled lotus seeds to a series of machines for processing, including hollowing out and drying the lotus seeds.

He said processing dried lotus seeds can involve a continuous 22-hour process, with the machines running nonstop.

By using lotus seeds to produce lotus vinegar, lotus cakes and lotus pastries, the comprehensive benefits have significantly increased. By growing lotus, local farmers have also developed an eco-tourism business centered on lotus tasting, appreciation and appraisal.

With a history of over 5,000 years and now acting as a semi-provincial level city, Hangzhou administers 10 districts, one county-level city and two counties, including Tonglu.

In Hangzhou, the agricultural, electricity and technology departments have jointly launched a special program to support lotus seed production, ensuring stable power supply for deep processing enterprises in the region, as summer is the busiest time for lotus farmers.

The local Ailian Liquor Factory has tailored its production to develop lotus seed liquor, helping villagers prosper together and gain popularity among liquor enthusiasts.

Ding Fangyuan, an employee of State Grid Hangzhou Power Supply Co, said the power supplier has sent teams to conduct on-site surveys for processing enterprises, thus ensuring reliable power supplies for processing workshops and safeguarding the entire process of lotus seed liquor production.

"As the scale of production at Ailian Liquor Factory has been increasing in recent years, we have helped it with power line planning and renovations, addressing issues such as low voltage periods," Ding said.

Li Fu, a lotus seed processing workshop owner, said: "During the liquor brewing process, electricity consumption is much higher than usual. Once we had an issue with unstable voltage, I called them, and the power workers came within minutes to resolve the problem. The power company employees are more familiar with the workshop's electrical lines than I am. I sometimes get confused, but they remember everything clearly."

She stressed that due to their strong support, she hasn't had any worries about electricity for years.

Xi Qicheng, Ding's colleague, said in the next stage, State Grid Hangzhou Power Supply Co will continue to focus on rural industries such as lotus seed food workshops and lotus seed liquor facilities, providing high-quality electricity services to support rural vitalization.

Currently, Huanxi is also engaged in an order-based agriculture model wherein companies and farmers collaborate, thus enhancing efficiency while protecting the local ecological environment.