Huangdi culture enriches local lives, commerce

The often enchanting and sometimes surreally beautiful Xiandu scenic area is located in Jinyun county. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

More than 100 merchants from East China's Zhejiang province gathered on June 16 at the Xiandu scenic area in Jinyun county – administered by Zhejiang's Lishui city – to pay tribute to Huangdi.

Huangdi, also known as the Yellow Emperor, was a mythological-historical figure believed to have been sovereign of a united China around 5,000 years ago.

Legend has it that Huangdi crowned his life in Dinghu Peak, located in the modern-day Xiandu scenic area, by riding a dragon to heaven. Jinyun's tradition of hosting Huangdi worship rituals dates back 1,600 years.

With the increasing and pervasive influence of the Xiandu scenic area and Huangdi culture in recent years, the effect is spreading throughout the county and even the whole province. 

Jinyun's culture and tourism sector is thriving. In 2021, Jinyun received 3.75 million tourists, achieving total tourism revenue of 4.16 billion yuan ($621.13 million).

Made of local wheat flour, fresh pork and dried mustard, local specialty Jinyun shaobing is baked in a special bucket. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

At the same time, relying on the ever-growing popularity of Huangdi culture, leading local products such as Jinyun shaobing – Jinyun bucket baked rolls – Xuanyuan yellow tea, Shuangmian noodles and other hit snacks and agricultural products are growing rapidly.

In 2021, the production of Jinyun shaobing alone was worth 2.7 billion yuan and created 23,000 jobs, attracting nearly 40,000 farmers to participate in the industry and raise their standard of living.