Chinese wolfberry, a speciality of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, has become an important link between the area and outside world.

According to Zhang Laiwu, vice-governor of Ningxia, the Chinese wolfberry fruit and the products made from it are not only very "hot" in China, but also demanded by many other countries.

The combined annual output value of related industries has exceeded 1 billion yuan (US$120 million), Zhang said last weekend in Beijing at a news conference for an international wolfberry festival.

Earlier next month, the Fourth China Ningxia International Wolfberry Festival will be held in Zhongning, a county in Ningxia. It is expected to attract 500 business people, company representatives and scholars, Zhang announced.

At present, Zhongning, a leading wolfberry production base in the country, has established 50-odd exclusive agencies for the sale of the product across the country.

Chinese wolfberry, crowned as "red diamond" in ancient Chinese medical books, has been highly regarded for centuries as one of the foremost nutritional and therapeutic plants.

Many Chinese people believe that human life might be extended significantly by using it for an extended period of time.

It is reported its fruit can help maintain the normal function of people's liver and kidneys, drop blood pressure and improve eyesight.

As the original producton location, Ningxia boasts a 600-year history of planting Chinese wolfberry trees and the plant has become a pillar industry that helps local farmers increase their income.

To date, the region has more than 21,300 hectares of land grown with the plant, producing more than 40,000 tons dried fruit a year, accounting for 26 per cent and 42 per cent, respectively, of the country's total, said Zhang.