In the processing workshop with roaring machines, pine nuts are screened, sorted, and processed to become specialty products for the market; on the vast alpine meadows, camel riding, equestrian experience and other projects attract tourists to experience it. More than 90 years ago, the Central Red Army passed through Xundian on its Long March. It issued an "extremely urgent" order to cross the river in Lukoushao Village, Qixing Town, and made the strategic decision to cross the Jinsha River in Kedu Dangui Village. Today, in the land where the Red Army once walked, the transportation network continues to extend, specialty industries continue to develop, and the rural landscape is undergoing profound changes.
From the courageous march forward in the revolutionary era to the continuous struggle in the new era, the spirit of the great Long March is being transformed into practical actions of the Xundian people to develop characteristic industries and build a beautiful homeland. On the afternoon of November 7, the online themed interview event "Red Star Shines on China·Yunnan Chapter" went to Xundian Hui and Yi Autonomous County, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, and visited the pine nut distribution center of Dengjia Village, Yundian Town and the Beidaying Pasture of Hekou Town. From the development and utilization of mountain forest resources, to the extension of characteristic industrial chains, to the new business formats and new jobs brought about by the integrated development of agriculture, culture and tourism, Xundian is exploring new paths for the development of rural industries based on its own resource endowments, and showing a new look at rural revitalization in old revolutionary areas.
A pine nut connects the industrial chain of enriching the people
Walking into the pine nut distribution center in Dengjia Village, Yundian Town, the air is filled with the fragrance of pine nuts. In the processing workshop, threshing machines, screening machines, and cleaning machines are operating in an orderly manner. The roasted pine nuts have plump particles and a shiny color. Workers are busy sorting and bagging the pine nuts. Bags of pine nuts are loaded onto trucks from here and sent to all parts of the country.
Yuandian Town is rich in mountain forest resources, with 175,000 acres of available forest land. Huashan pine is an important local characteristic resource. The local pine nut purchase transaction has been carried out for nearly 30 years. However, in the past, the industrial development was relatively scattered. The masses took the pine buds to find the market and sold them in pieces. The prices fluctuated greatly, and the resource advantages were not fully transformed into industrial advantages.
How to make the "native products" in the mountains and forests go out of the mountains and form a large scale? According to reports, since 2021, Yundian Town has integrated agricultural-related funds and leveraged social capital to build a standardized pine nut processing and distribution center in Dengjia Village, equipped with equipment such as cold storage, drying, color sorting, fine sorting, etc., to promote the transformation of the pine nut industry from small family workshops to standardization, scale, and branding.
Today, Yuandian Town has cultivated 16 pine nut purchasing and processing companies such as Haodian, Shijia, and Tanxi Food, forming an industrial cluster with Dengjia Village as the core and radiating to surrounding villages. Pine nut raw materials from Zhaotong, Qujing, Dali, Sichuan, Guizhou and other places are gathered here. The annual distribution of pine buds exceeds 25,000 tons. The annual output of open pine, pine nuts and other deep-processed products exceeds 6,000 tons. The total output value exceeds 200 million yuan. It has gradually grown into an important pine nut trading and distribution base in Southwest China.
Industrial development requires both processing workshops and people who connect the fields to the market. Focusing on pine nut harvesting, processing, and sales, Yuandian Town integrated the rural surplus labor force and established a "little squirrel" pine nut work team of more than 150 people to implement unified training, unified division of labor, and unified dispatch. During the peak harvest season from September to October every year, the picking team will also go to surrounding towns and counties to carry out operations.
"We currently have more than 60 people in our picking team. If we are quick and agile, we can earn nearly 1,000 yuan a day. During the harvest season, which lasts more than a month, we can earn an additional 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. It is much better than working part-time jobs!" said Li Fuming, captain of the picking team.
The harvested pine buds then enter threshing, drying, sorting, and finished product processing to achieve a seamless connection between picking and processing. At the same time, Yuandian Town has also cultivated more than 40 local pine nut brokers. They travel to markets across the country all year round to understand the market, connect supply sources, and expand sales, closely connecting the town with the broader market.
From harvesting in the forest, to processing in the workshop, and then to market sales, a single pine nut connects a complete industrial chain, and also drives more people to find jobs and increase income at home. At present, the pine nut industry stably employs more than 150 people all year round, and more than 300 people are employed during the peak harvest season. The per capita income of migrant workers has increased by 20,000 yuan to 30,000 yuan. Xinhua, Hujie and other villages rely on the pine nut industry, and the village collective economy has increased its annual income by 420,000 yuan. Pine nuts that used to be scattered in the mountains have now become a characteristic industry that increases people's income and promotes rural development.
A piece of grassland expands new space for rural development
Beidaying Grassland, about 23 kilometers away from Xundian County, has tens of thousands of acres of alpine meadows stretching between the mountains. Projects such as camel riding, equestrian experience, and travel photography have been implemented one after another, adding new tourism experiences to this pasture.
"What are the characteristics of a camel's eyes?" Zhu Xunrui, the person in charge of the camel riding, asked the children who were participating in the camel riding experience in the camel house in Caochang. "I think its eyes are big." One child replied. Zhu Xunrui then introduced the physical characteristics and living habits of camels. Through close observation and interactive experience, children have a more intuitive understanding of camels, and they also feel that the plateau grassland is different from the traditional impression of playing fun.
In May this year, the Yuntuo Riding Project officially settled in Beidaying Grassland, relying on local alpine meadow resources to create a plateau camel riding experience project, adding a new format to grassland tourism.
The new business format brings new jobs and gives local villagers more employment options. At present, the project has 14 permanent employees, all of whom are surrounding villagers. After training, they are engaged in camel breeding, riding services, etc. During peak passenger flow periods, nearly 20 local villagers will be hired to be responsible for security, on-site services, etc. The two brothers Liu Zhen and Liu Yi who are serving tourists are villagers working in the nearby grassland.
From the history of the Red Army's Long March in Kedu to the ever-expanding pine nut industry chain in Yundian Town; from the revolutionary land that carries red memories to the gradually enriching cultural and tourism formats in Beidaying Grassland, the development and changes of Xundian are not only reflected in the continuous improvement of industrial scale and rural appearance, but also in the daily life of the people as they increase their income and become richer, and their quality of life continues to improve. At that time, the Red Army left here the story of the Long March of firm belief, relying on the masses, and overcoming difficulties; now, the local people are based on resource endowments, developing characteristic industries, exploring the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism, so that red resources and rural development can mutually empower each other. A pine nut connects the industrial chain, a pasture expands the development space, more and more people become participants and beneficiaries of rural revitalization, and the former revolutionary land is glowing with new vitality.
