(ECNS) - A former stretch sandbank along the Yarlung Zangbo River in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region has been transformed into the region's largest vineyard and one of the world's highest-altitude grape-growing areas, highlighting efforts to develop specialty agriculture in harsh environments.
The Panzhu winery vineyard in Sangri County now covers more than 640 hectares at an elevation of about 3,600 meters, after 15 years of investment in soil rehabilitation, irrigation and grape breeding, according to the winery.
The site was once marked by highly alkaline soil, strong ultraviolet radiation levels and sharp day-night temperature differences of 20 degrees Celesius, making large-scale cultivation extremely difficult.
To make grape growing possible, local authorities, agricultural researchers and aid teams from central China's Hunan province developed a soil improvement program that included drainage systems, organic fertilizers and salt-tolerant vegetation to gradually reduce soil alkalinity.
Local officials said a total of 258 million yuan ($36 million) has been invested in land improvement and supporting infrastructure. The vineyard also adopted drip-irrigation technology, reducing water use while enabling a small technical team to manage large growing areas.
Researchers from the Xizang Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences worked with the winery to adapt grape varieties to plateau conditions.
By 2017, six core varieties had been selected, including "Yajiang No. 1," a locally developed grape variety that is more resistant to cold and contains significantly higher anthocyanin levels than many conventional varieties.
The vineyard also successfully introduced Vidal grapes, a variety commonly used in ice wine production.
In 2023, it was certified by the World Record Certification Agency (WRCA) as the world's highest-altitude Vidal grape plantation.
Beyond wine production, the project has become an important source of employment for nearby communities. The vineyard now employs residents from 10 villages along the river, providing seasonal and long-term work in pruning, trellising, harvesting and daily maintenance.
Workers typically spend four to five hours a day in the vineyard, allowing them to earn income while managing household responsibilities.
The project illustrates Xizang's broader efforts to develop high-value agricultural industries suited to local conditions while creating jobs and increasing rural incomes.
(By Zhang Jiahao)
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