It is a city steeped in idyllic beauty. Patches of bright peony blossoms are sprinkled among its fertile lands with the Yellow River winding through the pleasant landscape. Yet it is a city mired in poverty.
It has long been at the bottom of the province in per capita GDP, being widely considered as the province's poorest city. This staggering contrast of beauty and poverty co-exists in Heze city.
Situated in the westernmost part of Shandong province, Heze borders Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces. The city is home to over 10 million inhabitants, a larger population than over 100 countries in the world. About 460,300 of those 10 million, at the end of 2017, were living below the provincial poverty line (about US$525 a year), the highest number among all cities in the province.
Targeted poverty alleviation became a government priority in China in late 2013 and Heze has been exploring development paths playing to its strengths in the fight against poverty. According to government statistics, in 2018 the local GDP surpassed the 300 billion yuan (US$44.8 billion) mark, an increase of 7.9 per cent over the previous year, making it the fastest economically-growing city within the province. Since 2014, the poverty rate has dropped from 15.7 per cent to less than 1 per cent.
Previously a well-known poverty-stricken city, Heze has now become a paradigm of poverty alleviation. People's Daily Online visited several villages in Heze city to find out the secrets that lie behind its economic boom.
Heze, hailed as "China's capital of peony", has a 1400-year history of peony cultivation. As China's largest peony base, Heze boasts a total of 32,400 hectares of peony farmland with more than 1200 varieties available.
In recent years, Heze's peony industry has embarked on a road of industrialization as local authorities rolled out a variety of policies to support the cultivation and processing of peonies. Peonies are no longer used only for their beauty but also for producing goods including seed oil, tea, cosmetics and herbal medicine. In 2018, Heze's output value of the peony industry exceeded US$1.1b, providing great impetus for the city's poverty alleviation.
![Peony seed oil was recognized in 2011 as a new food resource in a statement from the Ministry of Health. Photo / Supplied](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/X35UICZYI3DECYCUNCRSWKE5Z4.png?auth=ca2646aef4c82ec8769dbb250ddbf30cfaaafe0d84f8605931c0c84b30dbcdf3&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
"As for the peony, particularly in terms of cultivating, natural conditions here are very favourable. Many villagers know very well how to cultivate peony. Moreover, the soil here is suitable for planting peony. Thus, many poor households or poor villagers can engage in peony cultivation with easy access and they can quickly learn," said Li Hao, vice president of Haihui Mall of peony products.
Peony seed oil was also recognised in 2011 as a new food resource by the Ministry of Health.
During an inspection tour to Shandong in 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping was impressed by the added value of peony developed by the city and stressed the importance of suiting one's measures to local conditions when it comes to poverty alleviation.
Inspired by President Xi's recognition, local villagers and entrepreneurs have gained enthusiasm and confidence in the industry. Guo Haiying, founder of Yueru Agricultural Development Co Ltd, is among them. Her company, also serving as a targeted poverty alleviation industrial base, has helped local poor people make a better living.
"In 2013, President Xi came to Heze and proposed to develop the peony industry. After this, we started to cultivate the land and plant the flower. We mainly hire registered poverty-stricken households. Until now, we have arranged work for approximately 60 people from three nearby villages," Guo said.
The peony industry has blossomed into one of the pillars of the city's poverty alleviation campaign, helping over 100,000 people largely rid themselves of poverty. The city produces 4m peony flowers annually, some of which are exported to over 20 countries around the world.
![Heze hailed as "China's capital of peony". Photo / Supplied](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/MXECPVLE3TRX34HHMLCWKMRX2M.jpg?auth=5899a5b970f722574737fd7869e606deb2359b6bc216ee30e744f74efbe3f6cc&width=16&height=9&quality=70&smart=true)
There are over 120 companies in the region engaging in peony production, processing and sales. Over 240 kinds of peony-related products have been developed and the industry is beginning to spread its influence to medicine, tourism, cultural and creative sectors.
"The peony industry is a sunrise industry, which is also a name card of Heze. I feel very confident about the peony industry and feel very enthusiastic about it," said Guo.
This article was originally produced and published by People's Daily Online. View the original at en.people.cn