Across China: Wild apricots bring new life to north China mountain city

In autumn in the city of Chengde, north China's Hebei Province, the wild apricot trees had shed their leaves, leaving only sturdy trunks and bare branches. Meanwhile, an apricot kernel trading market in Pingquan, a county-level city under Chengde, was still bustling.

"This truckload is eight tonnes. Good quality! Take a look!" Broker Wang Dawei exclaimed as he patted sacks and called out to the inspector. Plump apricot kernels were piled across the trading floor as farmers lined up to have their goods weighed.

Dozens of kilometers away, in the workshop of Chengde Huajing Activated Carbon Co., Ltd., gasification furnaces were running. In the raw material yard, piles of wild apricot shells rose like small mountains. Those shells, once used by farmers as firewood, are now being turned into a resource that "gives off light and heat."

"In the past, people burned them for cooking, and the smoke was choking. Now these apricot shells have turned into activated carbon, and their value has increased dozens of times over," said Wei Shujun with the company.

"The waste heat we generate can also supply heating to nearby residents. Nothing goes to waste. The company uses about 50,000 tonnes of various fruit shells annually, produces more than 10,000 tonnes of activated carbon, and provides heating to an area of 300,000 square meters," Wei added.

"Burning coal in winter used to be a hassle. Now the plant's waste heat reaches our homes, keeping us warm and clean," said Ma Guoqing, a local worker.

At a specialty store on the lane outside Chengde Mountain Resort, an imperial garden and temple complex in Hebei, apricot kernel products, hot tea and pastries made of apricot kernels have become popular choices for tourists.

Shop owner Cao Yang was serving freshly made apricot kernel tofu in a small aluminum bowl decorated with auspicious patterns and topped with a layer of golden osmanthus honey. Its sweet fragrance filled the air.

Li Fenglan runs a homestay in Guchengchuan Village, Luanping County, Chengde. In spring, wild apricot blossoms stretched across 100,000 mu (around 6,667 hectares) of hills, drawing visitors to the area.

"During those days, guest rooms were booked up half a month in advance, and we received dozens of tourists a day on average," she said. "Local specialties like apricot kernel drinks and honey were in short supply. Some guests even asked us to mail products to them after returning home."

Chengde lies in the heart of the Yanshan Mountains and is an important part of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei water conservation area. Wild apricot trees are resistant to cold and drought with well-developed root systems, making them suitable for reforesting barren hills in this region.

According to an official with the Chengde forestry and grassland bureau, the city's wild apricot base now covers 4.27 million mu, with an annual output of 11,000 tonnes of apricot kernels.

"In the past, these mountains were bare. When it rained, gullies formed, and nothing would grow," said Guo Qiang, Party secretary of Caifenggou Village in Taitoushan Township, Pingquan. Currently, more than 20,000 mu of the village's rocky barren hills have been planted with wild apricot trees.

"The roots now hold the soil in place, the mountains are green, and everyone's wallets are fuller," Guo said.