Silkworms fuel Yizhou's national-caliber silk industry

A corner of the mulberry-planting fields. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

Yizhou district of Hechi holds the reputation of being China's hometown of sericulture. Drawing on favorable natural conditions and longstanding local traditions, the district has built a modern sericulture cluster amid the national westward shift in silk making capacity.

Yizhou outperforms all county-level jurisdictions nationwide in mulberry plantation scale and fresh silkworm cocoon output, holding this leading position for 21 consecutive years.

Its silk-reeling and comprehensive resource-processing capacity ranks first in Guangxi, and its silk industrial cluster is listed as a national key cultivation area. As a national geographical indication product, Yizhou silkworm cocoon is gaining recognition in international silk markets.

Driven by the local smart sericulture program, the proportion of high-grade cocoons remains steady at 95 percent. Local manufacturers operate intelligent production lines to deliver raw silk that meets premium international standards, and local brands continue to expand their overseas presence.

Yizhou boosts industrial returns through circular reuse of mulberry branches and silkworm by-products. It renovates low-yield mulberry fields and explores carbon-sink models for mulberry fields.

Supported by key industrial projects and university-enterprise joint research, the integrated development of agriculture, processing, and cultural tourism drives the rural revitalization of local areas.