The Second Cole Flowers Festival was held at Datang Township, Guidong County, Chenzhou City, on March 13. Guidong County boasts various specialties, including pinto beans, yellow fungus, ciba (glutinous rice cakes), Linglong tea and zinc-rich rice.

With an average elevation of 881 meters, Guidong County has numerous towering mountains, accounting for its unique climate—four seasons can be experienced in a mountain and different weather within ten miles. In addition, the county is famous for its high concentration of negative oxygen ions and mild climate.

In recent years, the county has made every effort to develop its production and supply of such agricultural products as alpine vegetables, fruits and rice irrigated by spring water, becoming a supply base of agricultural products for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

The festival has attracted countless tourists to appreciate cole flowers, enjoy beautiful rural scenery, take photos among the golden sea of cole flowers, and purchase such agricultural specialties as free-range eggs, pesticide-free vegetables, sweet strawberries and natural honey.

“I live nearby. With the help of the festival, we are able to earn money at our village by selling vegetables and eggs,” said Deng Jiandong, a villager from Quanxi Village.

“Our strawberries taste sweet. They sell very well today,” said Ms. Deng, a villager sorting strawberries and selling them in boxes.

A tourist called Mr. Chen said that his family failed to take a part in the First Cole Flowers Festival last year, so they decided to drive to the township this year, where they appreciated the golden sea of cole flowers and bought quality specialties.

The cole flowers in Quanxin Village have been in full bloom for more than half a month, attracting numerous tourists and photography enthusiasts.

The county has been ramping up its quality development in many sectors, including entertainment, transportation, cultivation and agricultural products processing. It has built a tea sightseeing garden in Qingquan Town, a flowers and plants sightseeing garden in Zhaiqian Village, and a Chinese medicinal herb sightseeing garden in Tieshan Group of Mujiang Town.

Moreover, it has integrated agriculture with tourism by adopting such modes as “village + resort”, “village + festival” and “village + intangible cultural heritages”, and pushed forward the construction of Shatian Red Tourism Village.