Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) In the depths of winter, while the Liupan Mountains are gripped by chill, Longde County in Guyuan City, Ningxia, is bustling with activity. At the Hongya Ice and Snow Amusement Park, laughter echoes from the snow tubing tracks; inside the warm greenhouses of Panlong Mountain Villa in Wenbao Township, tourists bend down to pick bright red strawberries. This small town, which once fell silent in the depths of winter, is now igniting a vibrant winter economy through its "agriculture + ice and snow" development model.
Bao Pingshun, the manager of Panlong Mountain Villa, never imagined that the few greenhouses of strawberries he planted in winter would transform the off-season into a peak season. "Before, nobody came in winter, but now we receive nearly 200 tourists every day, and the picking season can last until April," he said. He explained that this winter, the villa has deeply integrated fruit and vegetable cultivation with accommodation and catering services, creating a comprehensive experience for tourists that combines fruit picking and leisure.
This transformation stems from the policy dividends of the Fujian-Ningxia cooperation. With financial support, Panlong Mountain Villa, in conjunction with surrounding villages, built standardized greenhouses and introduced high-quality strawberry varieties such as Cream and Zhangji. Through scientific cultivation, they achieved a double improvement in fruit quality and yield, attracting tourists from all over and providing local villagers with employment opportunities right at their doorstep.
Seeing the remarkable results in Wenbao Township, surrounding towns followed suit. Based on their own resource endowments, various regions developed the cultivation of specialty fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, cherries, and apricots. Through variety iteration and technological innovation, they cultivated winter fruit picking into a distinctive agricultural brand for Longde County. Inside the greenhouses, lush greenery and fragrant fruits abound; outside, throngs of tourists create a lively atmosphere. The previously idle winter season has thus become a golden period for villagers to increase their income and achieve prosperity.
Besides the "green economy" in the fields, Longde County's ice and snow resources have also been fully utilized. At the Hongya Ice and Snow Amusement Park, snow tubing, snow tanks, and other recreational projects are very popular, attracting many citizens and tourists every day. The Shangliang Old Street Ice and Snow Carnival in Fengling Township has completed its facility testing and is about to officially open to the public, providing citizens and tourists with another great winter destination.
From fresh fruits and vegetables in greenhouses to laughter and joy in the ice and snow park, Longde has completely broken the stereotype of winter being a time of "nothing to do and nowhere to play." The leisure picking industry has filled farmers' pockets, while ice and snow tourism projects have filled the gap in the winter cultural tourism market. The two industries work together, complementing and promoting each other, continuously expanding consumption scenarios. Today, winter in Longde is no longer bleak and desolate; it offers both the warmth of increased income for farmers and the vigorous vitality of industrial development. The integrated development path of agriculture and tourism is making the winter economy of this small town increasingly prosperous. (End)
