Yanbian Korean prefecture in Jilin province has obtained government approval for its idea on improving its ginseng industry and has gotten the Chinese government to add ginseng to China's special geographical product list to help it maintain the product quality.

Ginseng has been called the "king of herbs" as a nutritious plant with medicinal value, especially in traditional Chinese medicine and Yanbian wants to build a national ginseng demonstration area because the nearby Changbai mountain area is China’s major ginseng site, accounting for 85 percent of China's, and 70 percent of the world's, total output.

It has designated an 8.9-million-square–meter area for the demonstration site with six ginseng producers who are expected to provide 4,000 tons annually, and, according to a Yanbian official, "We'll examine a ginseng production model that combines market needs and uses state subsidies."

Yanbian has other special products as well, with 11 agricultural items with geographical indicators which include rice and apple approved by China's Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine Administration.