Square bamboo industry drives green development, "summer economy" paves the path to prosperity, oil tea cultivation transforms barren slopes into treasure troves... In recent years, with support from the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and other departments, Xingwen County in Yibin City, Sichuan Province has adhered to strengthening the consciousness of the Chinese national community, fully implementing the "three significances" requirements for all reform and development initiatives, promoting integrated development across primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, and activating new functions for rural revitalization through distinctive industries, becoming a microcosm of Sichuan Province's innovative implementation of ethnic unity and progress demonstration projects.

**Small Square Bamboo Drives Major Industry**

Walking into Xianfeng Miao Township in Xingwen County, rolling hills are covered with emerald bamboo like an ocean. This area has been recognized by the China Society of Forestry as the "Home of Chinese Square Bamboo."

In recent years, Sichuan Province has targeted advantageous industrial resources in ethnic areas, explored the establishment of industrial development funds for ethnic regions, promoted industrial revitalization in ethnic minority villages, and driven farmers' income growth.

The bamboo forest in Xianfeng Township serves as both beautiful scenery and a "green engine" promoting local rural revitalization.

No one could have imagined that just over a decade ago, this was an industrial area primarily focused on coal and sulfur mining, with severe land desertification. Villager Chen Wenfu recalled that around 2010, local authorities recognized that the "black" economy was unsustainable and turned toward "green" transformation.

At that time, there were over 20,000 acres of wild square bamboo forest on Xianfeng Mountain peak, but due to lack of management, production was very low. Square bamboo shoots have a tender taste, are rich in various nutrients, have strong market demand, and possess significant economic value.

Using square bamboo as a breakthrough point, the local government encouraged villagers to transplant wild square bamboo while promoting ecological construction through "bamboo creation," focusing on large-scale afforestation in desertified areas, abandoned mining land, and barren mountains.

To improve square bamboo cultivation efficiency, Xianfeng Township established deep cooperation with universities and research institutions such as Zhejiang A&F University. In 2021, experts from Zhejiang A&F University established a work station in Xianfeng Township, introducing advanced maintenance technologies such as bamboo forest soil oxygenation, bamboo forest structure adjustment, and pest control, significantly improving the yield and quality of square bamboo forests. Bamboo shoot yield per acre increased from 150 pounds to 500 pounds, with some areas exceeding 1,000 pounds.

Around square bamboo shoots, the area has formed a complete industrial chain. Freshly picked bamboo shoots undergo grading, preservation treatment, and cold chain logistics to quickly reach distant markets. "Harvested at dawn and transported by air, fresh bamboo shoots can appear on supermarket shelves in coastal areas the same day," said Feng Yi, Deputy Township Head of Xianfeng.

To extend the preservation time of square bamboo shoots, Xianfeng Township utilized central fiscal funds for rural revitalization (ethnic minority development tasks) and integrated other funds to build bamboo processing plants, providing employment opportunities for over 50 local residents while increasing collective village income.

After over a decade of development, square bamboo cultivation area in Xianfeng Township has expanded to over 100,000 acres, producing approximately 8,300 tons of shoots annually with a production value of 66 million yuan, achieving comprehensive output value across primary, secondary, and tertiary industries exceeding 400 million yuan, driving annual per capita income growth of over 3,200 yuan for township farmers. Currently, nearly 95% of households in the township are engaged in square bamboo-related industries.

**Rural Health Tourism Paves Path to Prosperity**

In summer at Xianyunfeng Tourism Resort, mountain paths wind through towering ancient trees. Within the resort, the ecological Miao village homestay area features buildings that cleverly incorporate Miao stilted house elements; the starry sky tent area draws inspiration from constellations with transparent domes allowing guests to "sleep under the starry river"; and the cabin resort area features wooden houses integrated with the forest, showcasing ecological harmony.

Xianyunfeng is located in Qunyu Community Village in Xianfeng Township. Since 2015, seven coal and sulfur mining enterprises in Qunyu Community Village have gradually closed. Villagers lost their income sources and mostly chose to work elsewhere.

To find new development support, the village leveraged unique advantages including high altitude cool climate, abundant bamboo resources, and rich ethnic culture to vigorously develop rural health tourism.

Chen Shuang, Party Secretary of Qunyu Community Village, introduced that with support from ethnic minority development funds and other assistance funds, Xianyunfeng Tourism Resort was built over 10 years. The resort covers 240 acres, cleverly integrating health services with Miao medicine resort wellness elements, and has now become a provincial-level Traditional Chinese Medicine health tourism demonstration base.

"Tourism development has injected unprecedented vitality into the village," Chen Shuang told reporters. During summer 2024, the resort received over 4,000 visitors daily, with annual visitors exceeding 150,000. Tourism serves as a bridge promoting interaction and integration among ethnic groups while driving income growth for over 500 surrounding households, with tourism revenue exceeding 45 million yuan.

The flourishing tourism development in Qunyu Community Village embodies Xingwen County's philosophy of "shaping tourism through culture, enriching development through tourism."

**Barren Slopes Transform Through Oil Tea Cultivation**

Walking through the mountains of Qilin Miao Township, oil tea forests stretch from mountaintops down the slopes. Former barren slopes and degraded forest land have been given new life through the rise of the oil tea industry. Currently, oil tea cultivation throughout the township has reached 10,000 acres.

"Oil tea cultivation in degraded forests represents waste-to-treasure transformation. Oil tea has strong risk resistance, tea oil has good market prospects, and it's a good industry for people's income growth," said Hu Ya, Party Secretary of Qilin Township, at the thousand-acre oil tea demonstration base.

Oil tea, also known as tea seed tree or tea oil tree, produces tea oil that is clear in color and fragrant in taste, nutritionally rich, and represents high-quality edible oil. In recent years, Xingwen County has actively explored developing mountain-specific forestry based on the actual situation of obvious mountain climate variations, abundant forest resources, and more mountainous terrain than arable land.

"Although oil tea has a long production cycle, by exploring planting models such as 'short-term supplementing long-term' and 'tall-short combination,' we effectively solved maintenance issues before oil tea reaches full production," Hu Ya explained. Oil tea planting rows are spaced widely, and during the 6-8 years before full production, tea leaves, medicinal herbs, or grain crops can be intercropped between rows, achieving efficient land resource utilization.

Camellia oil has multiple benefits and is favored by mid-to-high-end consumers. "Based on current production of 50 pounds of camellia oil per acre, each acre generates 5,000 yuan in output value, allowing people to obtain stable income during the productive period," Hu Ya said. Currently, "Sanhe Camellia Oil" brand products have successfully entered the market.

In Sanhe Village, Qilin Township, an oil tea processing plant covering 3,800 square meters has been completed and put into production. Inside the facility, new deseeding, drying, pressing, and refining production lines operate efficiently, with daily tea seed processing capacity reaching 5 tons.

"The processing plant transformed oil tea from traditional manual pressing to modern machine pressing, significantly improving oil extraction rates and further increasing income for people of all ethnic groups," Hu Ya said.

The key force supporting local oil tea industry development is support from ethnic minority development funds. "Our goal for the next five years is to create a 'ten thousand acres, hundred million yuan' demonstration park," Hu Ya stated. This green industry activated by funding, empowered by technology, and connected by industrial chains is becoming the most robust "aroma of hope" on southern Sichuan's rural revitalization path.

A relevant official from Sichuan Provincial Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission stated that in recent years, Sichuan has coordinated and integrated ethnic minority development funds, following principles of "misaligned investment, complementary functions, information sharing, and performance improvement," combining ethnic unity and progress creation with rural revitalization, grassroots governance, and ecological protection. Focusing on collective economy and industrial development as two key factors, over 300 demonstration projects including ethnic unity and progress demonstration villages and harmonious villages have been built, effectively promoting high-quality development in ethnic areas.