Mugwort industry drives rural vitalization in Yishui

A single medicinal herb has become a growth engine for Gaoqiao town in Yishui county, Linyi, where mugwort is being developed into an integrated industry linking agriculture, processing, culture, tourism and wellness.

Led by Yisheng Xiangai, a company founded by returning entrepreneur Zhang Sen, the town has expanded mugwort planting to more than 1,300 mu (86.7 hectares) and built a 500-square-meter workshop with annual processing capacity of 1,500 metric tons. Its product portfolio now covers 167 items in 11 categories, supported by a chain spanning cultivation, processing, e-commerce and sales.

The industry has helped village collectives increase income by more than 200,000 yuan a year and enabled growers to earn over 800 yuan more per mu annually. In Pingxiahe village, where mugwort planting has been expanded across the village, per capita income has exceeded 24,000 yuan.

Gaoqiao is also using the industry to reshape the countryside. Centered on Pingxiahe, it is building the Yisheng Xiangai rural vitalization demonstration zone, improving infrastructure, extending the industrial chain and developing ecological agriculture. Livestock waste utilization in the area has surpassed 95 percent.

Planned facilities include mugwort culture displays, moxibustion experiences, handicraft workshops and study-tour routes featuring harvesting, traditional processing and DIY activities, turning a local crop into a wider platform for rural development through industry, ecology and culture.

A craftswoman makes mugwort-themed sachets in Yishui county.

Editor：韩蒙蒙