Freshwater pearls, Chinese black poplar

Freshwater pearls, Chinese black poplar

　　Hanshou is the birthplace of artificial freshwater pearl farming. The county has a total suspended cultivation area of 6,700 hectares, producing 60 tons of pearls annually. Freshwater pearls take three years to mature, and the beads are perfectly round, crystal clear, and dazzlingly lustrous. They are not only exquisite jewelry pieces but also valuable medicinal materials, offering multiple benefits such as beautifying the skin, promoting health, and treating ailments. The county currently has more than 10 pearl processing enterprises, which process over 30 tons of pearl jewelry annually. The products are sold to Southeast Asia and Europe & America, and are highly favored by consumers. The Forestry Science Institute of Hanshou County, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Forestry, has jointly selected and bred a new fast-growing variety of black poplar. Over 20 years of production practice have proven that Chinese black poplar is easy to propagate, grows quickly with high quality, and is suitable for processing. Currently, the county has established 180,000 hectares of Chinese black poplar bases, forming contiguous poplar production bases such as Weidi Lake, Yangtao Lake, and Muping Lake, each covering 667 hectares. The standing timber volume has reached 1.5 million cubic meters. Poplar processing has begun to take shape, with an annual processing capacity of 100,000 cubic meters of logs, mainly producing decorative panels, packaging boards, daily necessities, and more. The products sell well across China and are exported to Southeast Asia. (Loudi)