Zhang Bingzhen, 73, started to plant kongxin plums with his father when he was a young man. He said that he has 10 mu of plum trees, and earns a healthy income of about 300,000 yuan each year.

"I am not worried about sales. As the plums get ripe, dealers will come and place orders," said Zhang.

Thanks to his popular plums, Zhang has built a three-story house for his family and their quality of life has improved a lot.

Growing plums helps increase the income levels of local people in Yanhe Tujia autonomous county, Guizhou province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The local government in Shazi has also provided investment and subsidies to help farmers set up e-commerce stores and establish logistical networks to sell their plums online.

Yanhe's kongxin plums were sold to buyers in 31 cities and provinces across China in 2016.

Authorities are also taking advantage of the popularity of its famous fruit to promote rural tourism.

They plan to build an attractive scenic spot where visitors can enjoy flowers in spring, taste plums in summer and oranges in autumn. Construction of the tourist spot has already been completed and it will soon open its doors.