Yingde City has long been renowned as the "Hometown of Chinese bamboo shoots." In recent years, with the deepening implementation of the "High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns and Villages," Qingyuan has vigorously promoted its "five ten-billion agricultural industries" initiative, with bamboo shoots becoming one of these ten-billion agricultural industries. Yingde is capitalizing on its industrial foundations and advantages to continuously upgrade the bamboo shoot industry, extend the industrial chain, and create new competitive strengths.

Bamboo shoots are prized for their delicious taste and rich nutrition and are often lauded as a "premium vegetarian delicacy." The cultivation of bamboo shoots in Yingde has a long history, with written records dating back to the Qing Dynasty. Today, in Xiniu Town of Yingde City, the planting area of bamboo shoots reaches 863,900 mu, with fresh bamboo shoot output totaling 1.34 million tonnes. By the end of 2024, the total output value of the entire bamboo shoot industry chain in Qingyuan surpassed 10.97 billion yuan.

Yingde has been making efforts in deep processing and industrial chain extension to further raise the added value of agricultural products. With fully automated dust-free production lines, Yingde Juyuan Mabao Bamboo Shoots Co., Ltd. has significantly boosted its production capacity. With 20 production lines operating nonstop 24 hours a day, the company's annual capacity of ready-to-eat bamboo shoots reaches 5,000 tonnes, accelerating the industry's capacity upgrade in deep processing.

Guangdong Zhushengsheng Technology Co., Ltd. produces bamboo tableware made from an innovative fully biodegradable composite material primarily derived from renewable bamboo fiber. These products have earned CE marking, completed FDA registration, been tested by TÜV Rheinland and SGS, and been certified to relevant Chinese national standards, successfully entering international markets including the EU, the United States, and Indonesia.

Bamboo shoots not only create economic value but also drive rural cultural tourism development and help increase villagers' incomes. Xiniu Town's bamboo forests are crowded with tourists in each harvest season. Some learn bamboo shoot harvesting and peeling techniques from local farmers, others visit bamboo culture exhibitions in themed parks, and many sit down at countryside resorts to enjoy mouthwatering meals centered around fresh bamboo shoots.

清远麻竹笋，从“山中珍馐”到“百亿集群”

英德市素有“中国麻竹笋之乡”的美誉。近年来，随着“百千万工程”的深入实施，清远大力推进“五大百亿”农业产业集群建设，麻竹笋跻身“百亿集群”之一。英德市正紧抓产业基础和优势，不断推动麻竹笋产业升级，延伸产业链，大力增创产业新优势。

麻竹笋口感鲜美、营养丰富，被誉为“素食之上品”。麻竹笋在英德市栽培历史悠久，有文字记载的可追溯到清朝。目前英德西牛镇麻竹笋种植面积达86.39万亩，鲜笋产量134.37万吨。2024年年底，清远麻竹笋全产业链产值突破109.65亿元。

英德市在精深加工上做文章、在延伸产业链上下功夫，进一步提升农产品附加值。英德市巨元孖宝公司凭借全自动无尘生产线实现产能大幅提升。该公司20条生产线火力全开，24小时不间断作业，即食笋年产能达5000吨，在麻竹笋精深加工领域跑出了产能升级的“加速度”。

广东竹笙科技有限公司生产的竹制餐具使用创新型专利配方全降解复合材料，以可再生竹纤维原材料为主，获得了欧洲CE认证、FDA认证、德国TUV莱茵与SGS检测、国家标准认证，成功打入了欧盟、美国、印尼等国际市场。

麻竹笋不仅能创造经济价值，更带动乡村文旅发展、助力村民增收。每当麻竹笋丰收季，西牛镇的竹林里总是挤满了游客。有人跟着笋农学砍笋、剥笋的农家手艺，有人钻进主题公园打卡竹文化展，还有人坐在农家乐里等着一桌鲜掉眉的笋宴。

文、图 | 记者 李程 通讯员 徐英豪
译丨郑奕玲
英文审校丨林佳岱