Yinzhou Bamboo Shoots

Yinzhou Bamboo Shoots

　　Yinzhou Bamboo Shoots

　　Yinzhou District is known as the "Hometown of Bamboo Shoots" in China. In 2001, the district had a bamboo forest area of 170,338 mu, harvested 2.8 million moso bamboo poles annually, produced 19,000 tons of bamboo shoots, generated an output value of 40 million yuan, with the total output value of the bamboo shoot processing industry reaching 110 million yuan and foreign exchange earnings of 10 million US dollars.

　　The production of bamboo shoots in Yinzhou District has a long history, and the region boasts a rich diversity of bamboo species. According to the Yuan Dynasty's "Continued Chronicles of Siming," the Ming Dynasty's "Tao Yuan Township Annals," and the Qing Dynasty's "Ningbo Prefecture Annals," the area was home to varieties such as Cixiao Bamboo, Suan Bamboo, Purple Bamboo, Zaogui Bamboo, Jian Bamboo, Ku Bamboo, Ban Bamboo, ZiJin Bamboo, Fengwei Bamboo, Shi Bamboo, Fomian Bamboo, Guanyin Bamboo, Fang Bamboo, You Bamboo, Jin Bamboo, Siji Bamboo, and Gongsun Bamboo. The Republican-era "Dongqian Lake" also noted: "Mao Bamboo, also called Maogu or Maozhu, has thick and sturdy stems, distinct from other bamboos, and people use them for making boat ropes." In April 1982, a district-wide survey of bamboo species identified 27 varieties, among which 15 were dual-purpose for both shoots and timber: Moso Bamboo, Dan Bamboo, Longxu Bamboo, Huake Bamboo, Huakeng Bamboo, Huake Dan Bamboo, Wu Bamboo, Zao Bamboo, Liuyou Wu, Wanji Bamboo, Qing Bamboo, Leizhu, Lü Bamboo, Zaoju Bamboo, and Huangpi Moso Bamboo. Other types included 12 more: Jin Bamboo, Shui Bamboo, Datouguan Bamboo, Taozhi Bamboo, Qingji Bamboo, Youku Bamboo, Lanbitou Bamboo, Youdengguan Bamboo, Misitong Bamboo, Sanyazhi Bamboo, Qingpi Bamboo, and Chenggao Bamboo.

　　According to 2001 statistics, Yinzhou District had a bamboo forest area of 170,338 mu, accounting for 17.6% of the total forestry land. Of this, moso bamboo forests covered 153,659 mu, and mixed bamboo forests 16,729 mu, representing 90.2% and 9.8% of the total bamboo forest area respectively. The moso bamboo stock reached 30 million poles, yielding 2.8 million bamboo poles and 19,000 tons of bamboo shoots (2001 being a low-yield year; the usual output ranges between 18,000 and 29,000 tons), with an annual output value of 40 million yuan (typically ranging between 29 and 45 million yuan), accounting for 63% of the district’s total forestry output value of 63.49 million yuan. Bamboo forests are widely and densely distributed across the district, with 21 out of the 23 towns and townships cultivating bamboo shoots. They are found on plains, coastal areas, mountain foothills, and up to elevations of over 800 meters, with particularly concentrated growth in six towns: Hengjie, Zhangshui, Longguan, Zhangxi, Hengxi, and Tangxi. These areas account for a combined bamboo forest area of 147,850 mu (including 135,787 mu of moso bamboo forests), or 87.1% of the district’s total bamboo forest coverage.

　　Yinzhou District’s bamboo shoot industry is renowned for the high-yield and efficient cultivation of moso bamboo in dual-purpose forests. Local farmers have a long tradition of managing such forests, consistently leading the nation in shoot yields. Currently, managed moso bamboo forests fall into three categories: shoot-focused forests, dual-purpose shoot-timber forests, and low-yield/low-efficiency forests, covering 5,000 mu, 115,000 mu, and 34,000 mu respectively—accounting for 3%, 75%, and 22% of the total moso bamboo forest area, with corresponding management levels rated as good, medium, and average. Aside from Lei Bamboo, which receives intensive management, most small bamboo varieties in Yinzhou are managed extensively. A mature “enterprise + base + farmer” industrial model has now been established in the district’s bamboo shoot production. There are currently 26 enterprises engaged in bamboo and bamboo shoot processing in the district, with taxable sales totaling 110 million yuan in 2001. The main bamboo shoot products are boiled bamboo shoots, while bamboo material processing focuses on bamboo plywood and woven bamboo products. The development of these processing enterprises has strongly promoted the growth of bamboo shoot bases, and bamboo shoot products have become one of Yinzhou District’s major exported agricultural commodities, second only to rushes.