Cabbage harvest season recently arrived in Jiaozhou, a county 50 kilometers northwest of downtown Qingdao.

The county in Shandong province has been growing Chinese cabbage for hundreds of years, and "Jiaozhou cabbage" has become a famous brand, with many domestic writers and artists praising the vegetable in their works.

An aerial photo shows farmers harvesting cabbage at a plantation in Jiaozhou. [Photo/dzwww.com]

In recent years, Jiaozhou has been ramping up efforts to build a demonstration base for efficiently growing green vegetables.

By cooperating with companies and setting up cooperatives and plantations, the region has been able to achieve the standardized production of cabbage, increasing its quality and popularity.

"Our plantations use organic fertilizer and physical insecticidal methods to avoid pesticide residue and guarantee quality. Our products need to pass a quality inspection by the Jiaozhou Cabbage Association before hitting the market, and they must be affixed with a query code for security trademarks," said a manager of a local agricultural company.

Farmers harvest cabbage in Jiaozhou, Shandong province. [Photo/dzwww.com]

According to local officials, Jiaozhou cabbage is sold to more than 30 domestic cities and exported to Japan, South Korea, Europe, the United States, and other countries and regions.

Last year, the total output value of Chinese cabbage was more than 1.4 billion yuan ($213.08 million) in Jiaozhou, greatly boosting incomes for local farmers.

Farmers package cabbage in Jiaozhou. [Photo/dzwww.com]