Preserved vegetables turn into thriving business in Digang township, E China's Anhui

Preserved vegetables are a calling card for Digang township, Fanchang district, Wuhu city, east China's Anhui Province. The preserved vegetable products are produced through more than 10 procedures, including slicing, pickling, cleaning and dehydrating. Digang preserved vegetables were designated as pre-made dishes by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China in 2022.

A worker pickles vegetables in Digang township, Fanchang district, Wuhu city, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Jun)

The craft of making Digang preserved vegetables boasts a 600-year history. Xu Chenghua, a provincial-level inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of making Digang preserved vegetables, made significant strides in the 1990s by innovating the traditional recipe passed down from his ancestors.

A worker processes vegetables before pickling them. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Jun)

Through generations of inheritance efforts, Xu's preserved vegetables have become a calling card in Digang. Driven by Xu, other preserved vegetable brands emerged in the township, including one owned by Yang Lili, Xu's son-in-law. In 2018, Yang spearheaded an effort to establish a preserved vegetable association in Digang. In first year of its establishment, 32 companies joined the association, creating more than 800,000 yuan (about $109,608.8) in sales revenue.

Workers process vegetables at a factory in Digang township, Fanchang district, Wuhu city, east China's Anhui Province. The annual value of preserved vegetable products in Digang township exceeds 60 million yuan. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Jun)

According to Yang, the association achieved a sales volume of 60-million-yuan in 2023, opening up a broader market and boosting local employment. More than 500 people in the township are directly engaged in the preserved vegetable industry. Currently, the association has more than 40 members that have developed a variety of new products.

Yang mentioned that unlike in the past when there were distinct off-seasons and peak-seasons, the production of preserved vegetables now takes place year-round.

Photo shows an aerial view of the preserved vegetable industry integrated development demonstration park in Digang township, Fanchang district, Wuhu city, east China's Anhui Province. The park is about to be completed. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Jun)

The first phase of the preserved vegetable industry integrated development demonstration park in Digang township is nearing completion. Once finished, local preserved vegetable associations will move in to foster growth through collaboration.