Harvested pomelos are seen in an orchard in Yuhuan, a county-level city in Taizhou. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

The planting of pomelos has emerged as an engine driving rural vitalization in Yuhuan, a county-level city in Taizhou.

By virtue of its ideal landscape and climate, the pomelo produced in Yuhuan is of good quality and has a distinctive taste. As a result of that, the city has gradually renowned for its pomelos.

Qinggang town in Yuhuan, for example, is currently home to over 20 companies and cooperatives involved in the pomelo plantation. Some of them have renovated derelict factories into workshops used to sort, pack and promote pomelo grown via e-commerce platforms.

According to Chu Liming, head of the Yuhuan Zhangnong Fruit and Vegetable Professional Cooperative, the workshop established by the cooperative hires more than 50 residents and pays them an average monthly salary of about 3,000 yuan ($428.57).

In addition to selling fresh pomelos, companies in Yuhuan have been incentivized to extend the industrial chain by processing the fruit into different kinds of food, beverage and lifestyle products. Presently, there are seven companies engaged in the production of such goods in the city.

Zhang Xiaohua, the general manager of Yuhuan Runlyu Biotechnology Co Ltd, said that the company has purchased 100,000 kilograms of pomelo this year that are either cracked or have irregular shapes from more than 100 growers for further processing.

The company specializes in the development of pomelo-based products like shower gel, shampoo, and facial mask. Shower gel and shampoo produced using pomelos can generate about 3 million yuan in annual sales.

Yuhuan has also been exploring tourism development by leveraging its fame as a pomelo production base. For example, it has built many facilities such as cultural halls and parks that are themed on the fruit.

In Yanggeng village, Qinggang town, a cultural and creative park with a floorage of 10,000 square meters that was transformed from a disused furniture factory has been opened. The park now accommodates more than 20 cultural and creative companies.

A tourism festival themed on the pomelo has been staged in the village annually. Official statistics show the festival has attracted more than 280,000 tourists and generated 84 million yuan in tourism revenue since 2020.

Artists paint cartoon patterns on pomelos in Yuhuan, a county-level city in Taizhou. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]