Ginseng grows in the forests in Tonghua. [Photo/Jilin Daily]

Known as the "Hometown of Ginseng", Tonghua in Northeast China's Jilin province is pushing its ginseng industry to new heights by focusing on innovation and quality. As a major production area for Changbai Mountain ginseng, the city has made strides in transforming traditional practices into high-value, high-quality outputs.

Farmers like Zhao Yongsheng in Tonghua county's Donglai township are harvesting wild-grown ginseng that thrives naturally in forested areas, with minimal human intervention. "Our ginseng is top quality, cultivated using wild seeds from Changbai Mountain," Zhao explained, noting that their ginseng is highly sought after in markets across China, including Fujian and Hong Kong.

A production line for ginseng-related products. [Photo/Jilin Daily]

The city is strengthening its ginseng industry with the "Four Goods" strategy: good forests, seeds, methods, and branding. This includes setting up a high-quality seed conservation system and creating demonstration bases for ginseng cultivation.

Tonghua is also enhancing its digital capabilities, building a fully integrated platform to oversee ginseng production from seed to sale, ensuring traceability and transparency.

With over 450 ginseng-related businesses, including five national industrial leaders, Tonghua is steadily moving towards its goal of creating a 100-billion-yuan ($14 billion) ginseng industry cluster. The city's efforts continue to drive the growth of its ginseng sector, ensuring it remains a leader in innovation and quality.