Plateau roses from northwest China blossom onto global stage
Kushui rosesin Kushui Town of Yongdeng County, Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province on May 8, 2025. – Xinhua photo
LANZHOU (June 13): Nestled in the barren Loess Plateau, the small town of Kushui in northwest China's Gansu Province bursts into a sea of vibrant roses every mid-May.
Kushui Town in Yongdeng County is one of China's leading rose-producing regions, with a cultivation history dating back more than two centuries.
'The Kushui rose requires low-intense labor, being highly resistant to drought and cold, which makes it perfectly adapted to thrive here,' said Xu Dahong, deputy director of the county's rose research institute, adding that the flourishing rose industry has played a vital role in boosting the local economy.
As a selenium-rich variety, Kushui roses boast a higher oil-extraction rate than many other types.
The precious essential oil has become a coveted ingredient in global cosmetics, perfumes and food products.
It has not only been incorporated into numerous domestic cosmetic brands but also exported to countries including Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Australia, France and the United States.
'Our distillation techniques, enhanced by digital controls, guarantee world-class quality standards,' said Ba Cunli, head of a local rose essential oil manufacturer.
Ba's company sells rose-infused skincare products primarily through e-commerce channels, with online sales accounting for 70 per cent of total revenue.
Where ancient traditions meet modern innovation, Kushui roses – once preserved in salt – now flourish through cold storage technology, enabling year-round production, according to Ba.
Flower cakes with edible roses inside in a workshop of a company in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province on May 8, 2025. – Xinhua photo
Beyond essential oil extraction, the roses find a wide application as food flavoring and form the foundation of an increasingly diversified product line.
'The sweet, nutrient-rich petals are rich in anthocyanins and vitamin C,' said Shi Xiaochang, founder of a local rose-processing company.
With annual revenue exceeding 20 million yuan (about US$2.77 million), Shi's firm has developed more than 100 rose-based products, including beverages, flower cakes, wine and tea – helping boost the incomes of nearly 2,000 local households.
Today, Kushui Town cultivates roses across 21,000 mu (about 1,400 hectares) of land, with average yields reaching 400 kg per mu, and has 27 rose processing enterprises, according to Ye Chenglong, Party secretary of Kushui Town.
Expanding to the entire county, rose plantations now cover 101,600 mu. Annual production of fresh roses reaches 28 million kg, yielding 1,200 kg of essential oil, 2.6 million kg of dried flower buds, and 1,500 tonnes of rose jam – with the output value of the entire rose industrial chain reaching 2.8 billion yuan.
A local woman picks Kushui roses in Kushui Town of Yongdeng County, Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province on May 8, 2025. – Xinhua photo
Yet this ambitious town continues pursuing higher-yield, longer-blooming rose varieties in a bid to strengthen the rose industry and further increase farmers' incomes.
'We are striving to create a flagship product that will enhance the popularity of Kushui rose and reinforce the entire industrial chain,' Ye added. – Xinhua China Kushui Loess Plateau ROSE Xinhua
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