University student uses forgotten spice to revitalise economy of Chinese village
Accounting graduate Zen Xiao defers offer from UK university for a year to continue seeking ways to alleviate rural poverty
A mainland university graduate has delayed her postgraduate studies after resurrecting a traditional farming business in a remote village in southern China, the Hangzhou Daily reports.
Zeng Xiao, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting four months ago from the University of Nottingham’s campus in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, discovered and began marketing a forgotten local spice called baogusuan in Molao village in Hunan province.
After arriving in Molao village last September, Zeng and her companions identified baogusuan as a potentially profitable product that could benefit the village’s economy, even though villagers took the spice for granted and failed to see its value.
With two friends, Zeng launched a village enterprise to rebrand baogusuan, which is essentially made of cornstarch and red peppers. The trio repackaged the spice in stylish boxes that were sold to tourists and online shoppers.
