Farmhands in Xujiazhuang village of Hai'an – a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – are currently busy harvesting lotus seedpods. [Photo/IC]

Nowadays Xujiazhuang village is focusing on cultivating lotus roots and is developing itself as a scenic spot that integrates agricultural production and tourism. [Photo/IC]

In addition to beautifying the village's environment, lotus root cultivation helps boost the incomes of the locals and contributes to rural vitalization. [Photo/IC]