Patches of rapeseed flower fields beckon in E China’s Jiangsu

Photo shows blooming rapeseed flowers at the Qianduo scenic spot in Xinghua, east China’s Jiangsu Province. (Photo/Shi Daozhi)

Rapeseed flowers at the Qianduo scenic spot in Xinghua, east China’s Jiangsu Province, recently came into blossom. The boundless expanse of rapeseed flowers, scattered on duotian, a type of field landscape formed by raising mud into small stacks in waters, presents a picturesque spring scenery, attracting hordes of visitors.

In 2014, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization designated the Xinghua Duotian Agrosystem as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. In 2022, the Xinghua Duotian Irrigation and Drainage System was recognized as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure. The two heritage identities have become a calling card of local development.

The city has introduced new varieties of rapeseed flowers to ensure a longer blooming period for sightseeing. The full blossom at the Qianduo scenic spot is expected to come at the end of March.

The scenic spot receives around 15,000 tourists per day, and features 200 stalls to help farmers sell agricultural produce, generating a daily income of about 1.5 million yuan ($218,156) for B&B and catering services in the neighboring countryside.