Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus Cultivation: Millionaire Zhou Xingying Returns Home to Start a Business and Build a Health Industry
Zhou Xingying (first from left) is introducing the Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus.
Looking at Zhou Xingying's career to date, one can identify several different tracks - property management companies, biotech companies, landscaping companies, elderly care services - she has been involved in almost every aspect.
Starting as an ordinary waitress, she then worked in tourism, real estate and other industries. Zhou Xingying seems to possess endless energy and talent. Although she is not a highly educated graduate from a specialized program, and has no special connections or networks, this girl who grew up in Lingshui Li Autonomous County was able to maneuver freely in the business world. In 2012, at just 24 years old, Zhou Xingying became a "millionaire."
Just when her career was flourishing, she made a jaw-dropping decision - to return to Lingshui to build a health industry.
On September 17, Zhou Xingying stood at the newly established Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus base. She revealed to reporters the reason for this cross-industry career change - it was a direction choice made after careful consideration based on her feelings for her hometown and market judgment.
A Young Migrant Worker Continually Strives, Moves Across Multiple Fields to Become a "Millionaire"
In October 1988, Zhou Xingying was born in Lingshui. After graduating in 2006, Zhou Xingying went to work at a state-owned enterprise in Haikou, but because she was not accustomed to the various aspects of the system, she resigned and went to Sanya to look for other work.
"I have worked as a waitress and also as a tour guide." Zhou Xingying told reporters that when she first arrived in Sanya, because she had not graduated from a specialized program, she could only start with the simplest jobs. "Handing out flyers, waitressing, dispatching, sales, tour guiding, etc. - I have basically done all kinds of inconspicuous jobs."
Relying on her agile mind and strong will, Zhou Xingying continuously honed her skills in tourism, real estate and other industries, gaining a great deal of experience and resources. Subsequently, she and some partners began to start businesses - cleaning companies, property management companies, biotech companies, etc. Zhou Xingying keenly extended her reach into various fields.
"After many residential developments are completed, they need cleaning and other sanitation services. We targeted this market and embarked on an arduous entrepreneurial path." Zhou Xingying candidly admitted that the early days of starting the business were very difficult - finding projects, making door-to-door sales pitches, and being rejected many times. However, this Lingshui girl would persevere until she completed something once she set her mind to it. One deal, two deals, three deals - Zhou Xingying gradually opened the door to Sanya's service industry market through perseverance and good work results. Her income also grew continuously from a monthly salary of only 350 yuan to an annual salary of 400,000 yuan. In 2012, at just 24 years old, Zhou Xingying had already become a "millionaire" in the eyes of her peers.
Nine-Grade Lotus.
Based on hometown feelings and market judgment, she chose to return to Lingshui to cultivate Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus
Zhou Xingying's health was not very good since childhood, especially after a car accident in 2012, when she became even more deeply aware of the importance of health. "Lingshui is very beautiful, known as the Pearl Coast. The specialty products here are also very rich - cherry tomatoes, wax apples, sandworms and a series of products are not only delicious but also pollution-free and hazard-free." Zhou Xingying knows well that the people on this hot land of Lingshui are kind and hardworking, and the products here are high-quality and healthy.
At the same time, Zhou Xingying also realized the strong demand in today's society for health products. Therefore, Zhou Xingying chose to return to Lingshui and devote herself to promoting Lingshui's high-quality, healthy and specialty products.
After multiple investigations, Zhou Xingying decided to cultivate Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus. "The Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus is a treasure from top to bottom - the leaves can be made into weight-loss tea, the stems can be made into pickles, the flowers can be both ornamental and used for tea, and the seed pods can be used to extract collagen..." Zhou Xingying said while holding a beautifully blooming lotus. "Beautiful things are captivating. The Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus is the direction for my return-home business."
At Zhou Xingying's Nine-Grade Lotus base, growers are picking lotus flowers.
Adopting a cooperative model for development, planting scale expected to reach 200 mu by March next year
Zhou Xingying has always been vigorous and decisive in her work - once she decides, she immediately devotes all her energy. After communicating with the Lingshui government, she chose Dapoying Village in Timeng Township, Lingshui, adopting a development model of "farmers provide land + government provides seedlings + cooperative provides technology." The first batch absorbed 6 impoverished households, and 6 mu of "Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus" took root in Timeng Township in June this year.
Dong Shaobo, an impoverished household in Dapoying Village, has 7 people in his family. They mainly grow winter melons and vegetables, but the income cannot sustain the family's expenses, and life is extremely difficult. This time, Dong Shaobo joined in cultivating the Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus.
"When I first heard about growing lotus flowers, I was quite worried - I had no experience. What if I raised them poorly and lost money?" On September 17, Dong Shaobo, who was picking lotus flowers, told reporters that after careful explanations and demonstrations by Zhou Xingying, her team and the cooperative, he has been able to skillfully cultivate lotus flowers, and the income is quite good!
Growers are washing and sorting lotus flowers.
According to Zhou Xingying's previous estimates, one fragrant lotus seedling can produce 2,000 flowers per year. Calculated at a purchase price of 2 yuan per flower, just from selling flowers alone, one seedling can bring in 4,000 yuan in income. "Conservative estimate, one mu of Nine-Grade Lotus will yield an annual output value of around 100,000 yuan. The villagers' lives will definitely improve!" Zhou Xingying said with great expectation.
After seeing Dong Shaobo and others taste the sweetness of growing lotus flowers, more and more villagers proposed joining the cooperative. In October this year, the planting scale will expand to 38 mu; by March 2017, the planting scale is expected to grow to over 200 mu, at which point a total of 300 impoverished households will join.
Of course, Zhou Xingying has a clear understanding of her business. Next, she will continue to do a thorough job in deep processing of the fragrant lotus. For the beauty market, she plans to combine southern medicinal herbs to deeply extract the rich collagen from the lotus seed pods and launch a series of products such as facial masks, toners and facial cleansers; for the health preservation market, she plans to cooperate with traditional Chinese medicine doctors to develop soup recipes...
On September 17, in Dapoying Village, Timeng Township, waves of fresh fragrance filled the air, making people feel especially refreshed and joyful. The Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus flowers kissed by the sunlight were blooming splendidly. Zhou Xingying, wearing a white qipao with a magnolia pattern, was earnestly discussing matters related to Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus cultivation with Dong Shaobo and others. This post-80s girl, born and raised in Lingshui, firmly and calmly opened a new entrepreneurial story themed "health industry" on the Pearl Coast.