The essence of the land is etched into the loess slopes and echoed in every tale told. Recently, "Answers from the Land 鈥?Shanxi Premium Agricultural Product Brand Storytelling Event" was held in Taiyuan, where ten standout products, including jujubes, astragalus, millet, vinegar, and daylilies, took turns presenting their unique narratives.

With this fresh approach, the Shanxi Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs is polishing the "Jin Products" reputation, bringing the cultural depth of specialty agricultural goods to the forefront and amplifying brand recognition. In recent years, Shanxi has doubled down on its strategy of cultivating distinct advantages, revitalizing the yellow earth by concentrating on coarse grains, fruits and vegetables, livestock and poultry, and traditional Chinese herbs, while aggressively promoting superior varieties, enhanced quality, brand development, and standardized production. The province has certified 176 nationally recognized geographical indication agricultural products and 93 premium organic dry-farming brands to date.

Leveraging their natural, green, safe, and healthy attributes, these products have earned strong market traction, enriching local food baskets and reaching over 70 countries and regions worldwide. Storytelling has emerged as a key tactic for Shanxi to boost brand visibility and competitive edge. Many of the event's narrators have spent their entire lives working with these local specialties.

Drawing on their hands-on experiences, they illuminated the rich history and craft behind place names and products. The tales ranged from how thousand-year-old jujubes have thrived on the loess slopes, how red fruits along the Yellow River banks drive shared prosperity for villagers, how small daylilies in northern Shanxi's fertile lands grow into "golden branches" for local wealth, and a lifelong devotion to a single pear variety. They also covered cultural stories such as the thousand-year fragrance of aged vinegar, the century-spanning legacy of a single astragalus root, the millet flavors safeguarded in the Taihang Mountains, and the resilient spirit of Changzhi's Codonopsis pilosula.

Ten products, ten stories, strung together a clear narrative: stories bring culture to life, culture supports brands, and brands open markets. Through this event, the Shanxi Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has established a platform for government-enterprise dialogue, production-marketing collaboration, and resource sharing, further broadening sales channels for specialty products, strengthening brand recognition and market competitiveness, and driving high-quality agricultural development.