How Manling became hub for medicinal herbs

Seeking a change, he ventured into agricultural entrepreneurship. In 2008, Nima took a loan of 150,000 yuan ($21,000) to establish a pig and chicken farm in his village. However, his business suffered due to lack of breeding techniques and an unfavorable market.

In 2010, authorities introduced policies aimed at developing Manling into a hub for medicinal herbs.

Sensing the business potential, Nima shifted gears and founded a medicinal farm focusing on raising a herb named tianma or gastrodia elata. The decision was proved a big success, as he started gaining profit in the very first year.

Aided by the local government, Nima in 2012 renamed the company Red Sun Family Farm and expanded the range of medicinal plants including a local species of lingzhi, and the business took off due to its prime quality.

With a better financial standing, he thought about helping others. In 2016, at the height of China's fight against absolute poverty, he gave lingzhi seedlings to impoverished farmers to grow and offered to buy the harvests.

In 2021, Nima was honored with a national award at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for his contribution to poverty alleviation.

"We have established sales network on the popular messaging app WeChat so that our herbs and fungi can be sold further away," he added.