The herbal sachet business in Mazhuang village, Xuzhou city, has received a major boost from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s inspection tour in early December. The village launched its herbal sachet cultural courtyard on Wednesday.
Workers at the herbal sachet workshop were seen busy stitching the herbal sachets to fill the orders that kept coming from across the country.
The Wang Xiuying herbal sachet cultural courtyard in Mazhuang occupies 2800 square meters with a floor space of some 2000 square meters. With investment totaling 5 million yuan, the business complex incorporates research and development, design, production, display, experience and sales.
Upon its official operation in mid-March, the herbal sachet business will hire more than 200 villagers to help them increase income and carry forward the intangible heritage.
Last year, the village garnered more than 2 million yuan from the herbal sachet and the village orchestra businesses.
The villagers of Mengzhuan greeted the arrival of President Xi Jinping in early December when he carried out an inspection tour to Xuzhou.
The villagers produced fragrant sachets filled with herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. Xi praised the design of the sachets.
"How much? I'd like to buy one to support your business," Xi said to 80-year-old villager Wang Xiuying, who makes and sells them as souvenirs.
Wang answered that it would be a gift for Xi, but the president still paid 30 yuan for the sachet.
Members of a village orchestra performed a program about the Party's congress. After watching the performance, Xi said developing rural villages shouldn't focus only on increasing farmers' incomes but also on improving their spiritual outlook.
