The news that Nanchang's Wanli district will begin farming salmon has recently spread locally. Many people are puzzled: how can Wanli, which is neither coastal nor border-adjacent, manage to cultivate Norwegian salmon?
On March 18, the Wanli International Salmon Valley (Salmon Complex) project was officially signed. This marks China's first inland land-based Norwegian salmon farming project with a capacity of over 10,000 tons. Covering more than 500 acres, the project represents a total investment of 1.6 billion yuan. Its launch will not only fill the gap in large-scale inland salmon farming but also, through a combination of "technology + capital + application," enable Wanli to transition from relying on mountain resources to cultivating marine products inland, injecting new vitality into rural revitalization.
Why was Wanli chosen for the project? The answer lies in its ecological advantages. Salmon are known in aquaculture for being particularly delicate and having very high environmental requirements. Water temperature must be stably maintained between 18 to 20 degrees Celsius, and the water source must be clean and unpolluted. Even slight declines in water quality can be fatal, making salmon natural "environmental inspectors."
Wanli's natural conditions perfectly meet these strict criteria. It is a veritable "natural oxygen bar" and "urban green lung," with forest coverage reaching 73.27%. The average concentration of negative oxygen ions in the air exceeds 20,000 per cubic centimeter, ranking its ecological quality among the best in the province. Local drinking water sources and river sections consistently maintain Class III water quality standards, providing clear, clean water at suitable temperatures. The area has already successfully farmed species such as German mirror carp, yellow catfish, and sturgeon, demonstrating a solid aquaculture foundation.
Professor Zhou Qiubai, a national expert in the specialty freshwater fish industry technology system, noted, "Many areas in Jiangxi have excellent water quality. Jing'an successfully farmed salmon years ago. Wanli's ecological conditions are indeed suitable for salmon farming."
Strong ecology provided the foundation, while targeted investment promotion acted as the catalyst. A Wanli management bureau representative stated, "From initial project contact to the official signing, we adhered to a 'whole-chain investment' approach, leveraging our ecological advantages to precisely connect with international high-end industry resources."
How can high-quality Norwegian salmon be farmed inland without sea access? The answer lies in powerful partnerships and technical strength. The Wanli International Salmon Valley project is a collaboration between READBOY Digital Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. and Wilhelmsen China Ltd., combining capital, resources, and technology to build a complete modern fishery industry chain.
READBOY Digital Technology, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed READBOY Education Technology, brings advantages in digital economy and provides solid capital support. Swedish century-old enterprise Wilhelmsen, with years of experience in the Chinese market, has established cooperation with leading salmon farming companies in Norway and Israel, bringing exclusive technical licenses and world-class aquaculture technology to the project.
At the core of the farming process, the project will directly introduce top global land-based farming technology from Norway's Nofitech. A full set of intelligent fishery production systems will be applied throughout the farming process, supporting an annual production target of 10,000 tons of salmon. The project is expected to generate annual revenue of 600 million yuan and contribute approximately 25 million yuan in taxes.
The signing ceremony also included agreements for technology introduction and investment cooperation, marking a deep integration of international advanced technology with local development needs.
A major project like this can activate an entire industrial chain and benefit local residents. From the outset, the Wanli International Salmon Valley project has aimed for coordinated development across industry, cultural tourism, and livelihoods. It is not merely a farming base but a modern complex integrating land-based aquaculture, technology research and development, and cultural tourism experiences.
In addition to the core farming area, the project will include supporting facilities such as a marine research base, an agricultural sightseeing park, and a fresh product consumption center. This transforms high-end aquaculture into a new format that is observable, enjoyable, and purchasable, creating a fusion model of "fishery + cultural tourism + research," promoting the modernization of Wanli's agriculture and the upgrade of its cultural tourism industry.
Notably, the project innovatively adopts a model where village collective resources are contributed as shares, allowing villagers to genuinely participate and share in development benefits. Leveraging the full industrial chain layout, surrounding villagers can find employment and increase income locally, continuously optimizing the rural industrial structure and pioneering a new path for rural revitalization characterized by "industrial prosperity, villager wealth, and collective strength."
According to the plan, the investor will establish an office in Nanchang this April to comprehensively advance project construction. In the near future, authentic Norwegian salmon farmed in Wanli will be available on the dining tables of ordinary people. This inland "Salmon Valley," nestled amidst green mountains and clear waters, is set to become a bright new name card for Nanchang, showcasing the integration of fisheries and tourism and the revitalization of its rural areas.