Villagers in Qingtian county – administered by Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – started picking royal chrysanthemums on Nov 2, ignoring a rainy day because the long-awaited harvest time had arrived.

Over 500 mu (33.33 hectares) of royal chrysanthemums are in full bloom, with an estimated production of over 3,000 kilograms this year, a little bit lower than last year because of the drought.

However, the quality this year is better, according to a spokesman for Lishui Xuande Royal Chrysanthemum Development Co, the owners of the chrysanthemum plantation.

The company has adopted clean production technology to produce royal chrysanthemum products. Measures including cultivating virus-free seedlings, the comprehensive utilization of waste, applying organic fertilizer, irrigation that uses spring water, environment-friendly control of pests and diseases and artificial weeding – all of which give the products a higher quality and they smell better.

The royal chrysanthemums will be baked in a commercial oven isothermally for 24 hours soon after being picked, so they retain their natural qualities as long as possible.

The company's products are popular across the country thanks to their premium quality, with annual sales topping 10 million yuan ($1.57 million).

The royal chrysanthemum plantation, established in 2016 with an investment of 50 million yuan, has become the largest of its kind in the province. It has also has developed into the first royal chrysanthemum theme park in the country, thanks to the village's good ecosystem and appealing cultural environment.

A royal chrysanthemum festival is held every November and attracts a large number of tourists, making it a name card for local agriculture and tourism. The festival will start on Nov 12 this year, with the aim of increasing the influence of both the royal chrysanthemums and local eco-agriculture.