Mobile trucks promote Tibetan produce

Hangzhou has introduced a program to station mobile food trucks at scenic spots, aiming to promote products from impoverished areas.

Visitors at the Hangzhou Wushan Square can buy specialties from Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province. A white Tibetan-style food truck will promote a variety of items, including yak milk tea and sundaes, cakes and Tibetan salty chocolate.

The Hangzhou Jiuzhizhen Agricultural Technology Co has collaborated with Yajiang, Xiangcheng, and Daocheng counties in Garze to develop the food truck initiative.

Some 50 food trucks would be stationed in the West Lake, the Grand Canal and Hangzhou West Railway Station.

"The food trucks will feature a variety of products, each offering a unique selection," said Chen Liling, manager of the Hangzhou company. "Both processed and fresh food are available."

On September 8, during the inauguration event, officials from Garze showcased their specialties and tourism resources.

"Xiangcheng County is an excellent location for experiencing true Tibetan culture and food, as well as high plateau landscapes," said Ding Lixuan, vice director of the Xiangcheng County Tourism Bureau.

Last year, orchards in Xiangcheng County and Jiuzhizhen signed a three-year contract to sell over 2 million kilograms of apples in major supermarkets and wholesale markets throughout Zhejiang Province.

Hangzhou and the Zhejiang provincial authorities have invested over 23 million yuan (US$3.2 million) in apple orchards, enhancing infrastructure with advancements in pest management, environmental monitoring, water-saving irrigation and traceability systems.

"Throughout the harvest season in November, our truck will sell freshly picked apples. Customers may have milk tea infused with high-plateau apple juice," Chen said.

In Daocheng County, the agricultural support program has primarily concentrated on pigs and yaks. Tibetan pigs and yaks have low-fat, high-protein meat and thin hides.

"Customers can buy tins of red meat from the truck, and they also have the option to reserve fresh red meat for take-away," Chen said.

The Zhejiang Tianshun Group is also helping with the selling of Tibetan pigs and yaks by establishing a supply network in Hangzhou. Supermarkets and wet markets in the city will sell about 350 tons of beef this year.

The pine mushrooms are a key economic pillar for Yajiang County. The harvest season officially began in mid-July this year.

All mushrooms were traded at a new center and monitored through an online platform to ensure their authenticity and safety, supported by Hangzhou's Shangcheng District.

"The plucking season has ended. Now, sauce and seasoning made of minced pine mushrooms are available," Chen said, adding that the food trucks would sell fresh pine mushrooms throughout the harvest season next year.

Visitors can also enjoy milk tea brewed from Jiulong Rongpa. Jiulong County, which has a suitable natural environment with excellent air quality and fertile land, is Garze's sole tea production area.

It is home to the world's highest-altitude tea plant communities and has been producing Jiulong Rongpa tea for nearly 800 years.

"Besides food, our food trucks are a window to show the unparalleled tourism resources of Garze," Chen said.

The vehicle displays landscapes from Dacheng Yading Nature Reserve and 318 National Highway.

The reserve is known as "the last pure land on earth" and "the last Shangri-La" due to its beautiful natural environment.

The highway offers a paradise-like journey, connecting locations such as Chengdu, Litang and Daocheng counties in Garze, as well as the Yading reserve.

Since 2021, Hangzhou's "pairing assistance" team has collaborated with Garze to improve social development in underprivileged communities.

Government representatives have brought Hangzhou's progressive ideas to Garze, focusing on agriculture and tourism.