Photo: A farmer collects lotus roots.

Lotus flowers blossom in June, while lotus roots ripen in August. As the autumn arrives, the harvest season for lotus roots is in full swing. In the Yellow River Beach Eco-Agricultural Industrial Park on the west side of the Yellow River embankment in Shawo township, Dongming county, farmers used high-pressure water guns to wash away the mud from lotus roots one by one.

The lotus root, a versatile vegetable in the kitchen can be prepared through stir-frying, braising, being stewed in soy sauce and it can even be eaten raw. Rich in nutritional value, lotus roots have significant medicinal properties. Nowadays, lotus root cultivation stands as a key industry within the industrial park, which lies near the Yellow River. Leveraging this advantage, the industrial park vigorously promoted lotus root cultivation by introducing six lotus root varieties. Additionally, a lotus root base covering more than 1,000 mu has been established, integrating lotus root appreciation and production.

The cultivation of lotus roots, aquaculture and rice field irrigation in the park, all rely on water from the Yellow River. To facilitate water diversion, the State Grid Heze Power Supply Company has erected a 4.2-kilometer 10-kilovolt power line, delivering electricity directly to the pumping station, thereby saving more than 300,000 yuan in electricity costs. Currently, the park is equipped with seven 250-kilovolt-ampere transformers, ensuring a more comprehensive infrastructure for electricity support.