In early winter, visiting the villages of Yaozhou District in Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province, one is greeted by the sweet aroma of apples and the rich scent of mushrooms. In the apple orchards, varieties like "Qin Crisp" and "Snow Delight" have already been harvested and stored, with orders pouring in from across the country. Inside the mushroom sheds, fresh fungi grow thick and plump on the cultivation logs, ready for processing and shipment.
At this year's agricultural expo, the "Himalayan Mushroom" showcased by Yaozhou District's Dexiang Industrial Co., Ltd. became a sensation. Visitors and buyers inquired eagerly, placing orders on the spot and taking home the mushroom cultivation logs.
"This Himalayan Mushroom is a new variety developed in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences at the end of 2024. Its original strain comes from the southern slopes of the central Himalayas, rich in 18 amino acids—far exceeding levels found in shiitake, enoki, or king oyster mushrooms," explained Wang Cheng, sales manager of Dexiang Industrial. The Chinese Academy of Sciences provided the strain and technical guidance, while Yaozhou District handled strain rejuvenation, cultivation, log production, and fruiting.
The mushroom industry is a key pillar of Yaozhou's rural economy. Through continuous innovation, the district has built a complete industrial chain from cultivation to deep processing. It now operates eight demonstration mushroom cultivation bases with 561 standardized growing sheds, generating an annual output value of 164 million yuan. Mushroom cultivation logs are exported to South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, earning nearly $4 million in foreign exchange.
Innovation extends beyond mushrooms—apples have also undergone transformation in Yaozhou. In recent years, the district has implemented modern orchard efficiency programs, promoting advanced cultivation techniques and introducing "Qin Crisp" apples, a new variety developed by Northwest A&F University. The district has established 20 Qin Crisp apple bases, including those operated by Tianduyuan Company, Lüling Fruit Industry, and villages like Yicun and Baishuyuan.
Yaozhou has been recognized as a provincial hub for high-quality apples, export-grade apples, and processing-grade apples, as well as one of Shaanxi's first provincial-level demonstration zones for apple industry transformation. The district's "Dwarf Apple Cultivation Model Using Green Rootstocks" was listed as a key agricultural technology for Shaanxi in 2024. Annually producing 8 million high-quality apple saplings, Yaozhou has rooted prosperity in "China's seeds." Eleven premium green rootstock varieties have been exported to Central Asia, positively impacting apple industries in Belt and Road countries.
Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, Yaozhou has leveraged its "3+X" industrial model to drive innovation and build a modern agricultural system. Apples lead as the primary industry, supported by mushrooms and dairy (or meat) goats as secondary industries, alongside grapes, poultry, medicinal herbs, nuts, and greenhouse farming—forming eight distinctive agricultural chains that unlock rural revitalization.
Simultaneously, Yaozhou has advanced rural living environment improvements under the "Thousand Villages Project," addressing cultural and spiritual needs through community engagement, policy education, cultural activities, role models, and volunteer services.
Today, Yaozhou thrives with specialty agriculture deeply rooted in its fertile land. From meticulous field cultivation to collaborative industrial chains, from brand empowerment to improved livelihoods and rural culture, Yaozhou's countryside now flourishes with vibrant industries, prosperous farmers, and picturesque villages.