Sunflowers lead farmers to wealth

Sanshan village in Datong's Lingqiu county, North China's Shanxi province, plans to expand its planting area of sunflowers and promote farm-based tourism as an effort to boost its economy.

The village has more than 30 years' experience in sunflower horticulture. Now it has over 2,500 mu (about 167 hectares) of sunflowers, which will bring a total revenue of 3 million yuan ($488,695) for farmers.

A farmer pulls up weeds in a sunflower field in Sanshan village, Lingqiu county, Shanxi, on Aug 17, 2014. [Photo by Fan Minda/Xinhua]

A farmer surrounded by sunflowers shares his joy as he smiles in Sanshan village, Lingqiu county, Shanxi, on Aug 17, 2014. [Photo by Fan Minda/Xinhua]