Quality control workers carefully sort freshly-cut roses. [Photo provided to gogansu.com]

Roses are in full bloom inside the greenhouses of Yinong International Flower Port in Fuhan town, Linxia city, Gansu province — bringing an early spring to the Loess Plateau.

As a modern agricultural enterprise integrating smart greenhouse technology, floral research, production, and digital agriculture, Yinong International Flower Port has brought together intelligent climate control, soilless cultivation, and automated harvesting — realizing a longstanding dream to grow high-quality roses on the Loess Plateau.

Over the past year, it produced approximately 70 million roses. In 2025, the company exported freshly-cut roses to countries including Russia and Kazakhstan, with export value reaching 5.5 million yuan ($801,000).

The thriving industry has opened up employment opportunities for local women, with the flower port now employing more than 500 local residents, the majority of whom are female.

Zhang Tingting, a 38-year-old mother of two, was among the first group of locals to be employed after the flower port was established near her village in late 2022. Now earning over 4,000 yuan per month, she has achieved financial independence while being able to care for her children.

Over the past year, Linxia has boosted its floral culture influence through events such as flower art exhibitions. The city received more than 15.91 million tourist visits during the period, generating 9.28 billion yuan in tourism revenue.