Wang Liming (right) and his wife Liu Junyan teach their son to carve gourds in Lucun village, Shanxi province, Dec 2. [Photo/sxrb.com]

In Lucun village, Shanxi province there is a family famous for growing gourds and making handicrafts out of them.

On Dec 2, Wang Liming and his wife Liu Junyan hung processed gourds at home in preparation for selling them in Liaocheng city, Shandong province.

The couple has planted and processed gourds for two years. Due to their good management and planting techniques, the high quality of gourds has brought them many deals from clients and businesspeople in Shandong.

The yield per mu (666.67 square meters), from a growing area measuring 1.12 hectares, amounted to 500 this year and the economic benefits are expected to exceed 200,000 yuan ($30,234).

Currently, the couple is preparing to establish a gourd planting and processing cooperative and encourage local villagers who plant gourds to produce gourd handicrafts on a larger scale and help expand the local market.