[Photo/IC]

Lingshan, once an underdeveloped subdistrict of Jimo district in Qingdao due to its rugged natural conditions, has explored its own way of rural revitalization and transformed itself from a city-level subdistrict with a weak economy to a provincial agriculture giant.

In recent years, the subdistrict has been focusing on the construction of a demonstration base for Chinese medical tourism and a health preservation town themed on flowers and Chinese medicine.

Ten medical projects worth over 100 million yuan ($15.56 million) have taken root in Lingshan in recent years. In 2020, the average combined revenue of the subdistrict's 42 villages totaled 150,000 yuan, with 26 of them each generating over 200,000 yuan.

"The locals used to live with little income and the collective income of villages was also low. Now, the strategy of land transfer helps us earn 1,000 yuan per mu every year. The nearby planting base of Chinese herbal medicine also offers locals job opportunities. Even the elderly aged over 65 can earn about 3,000 yuan monthly per person," said Wang Yanqiang, Party secretary of Lingshan's Lanqianling village.

He added that the annual collective revenue of the village has picked up in recent years to exceed 300,000 yuan.

The Lingshan bio-medical industrial park, which currently hosts 10 bio-medical enterprises including Qingdao Landgo Pharmaceutical Group and Kelun Industry Group, has helped the subdistrict attract about 10 billion yuan in social capital and formed an industrial cluster with a focus on traditional Chinese medicine and marine bio-pharmaceutical research.

The Landgo Pharmaceutical Group project, which has an investment of 4 billion yuan, has been listed as a provincial key project for two consecutive years.

Lingshan was listed as one of the eight key modern new cities and towns, and the bio-medical industrial park was included in the key construction list in Qingdao's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and 2035 goals.

The subdistrict has also taken steps to drive rural tourism by building 16 modern agriculture industry parks, creating a subdistrict map, optimizing infrastructures and forming its own cultural brand. Honored as a provincial beautiful village, Lingshan has created its own triticale brand, developed farming-experience activities and promoted featured home-stays.

Lingshan's rural revitalization efforts also included the expansion of farmers' revenue channels by revitalizing idle resources by land transfer and increasing the final dividend to supplement farmers' income from share capital.

Authorities have also accelerated the construction of industrial parks and residential areas to raise farmers' rental income through land and house leasing, as well as encouraged farmers to plant flowers and Chinese medicine or work in the industrial park to increase their income.

In 2020, the per capita income of Lingshan's farmers rose eight percent compared with the same period last year. More and more migrant workers are now willing to return to Lingshan to start their own businesses.