Zhaotong Rapeseed

Last updated 2026-11-10 — Zhaotong has a long history of rapeseed cultivation. From the late Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, the edible vegetable oil processed from rapeseed seeds was not only sold locally but also a significant portion was transported via the Guanhe River and Nanguang Route to cities such as Xufu in Sichuan Province for sale. However, by the late 1940s, many of the fields originally used for growing rapeseed were converted to opium poppy cultivation, leading to a sharp decline in rapeseed production. Records from 1949 indicate that the total rapeseed yield in the entire region was approximately one million kilograms. (Zhaotong)