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China-Pearl Industry/Beihai
Beihai City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Aerial shots of Bailong village, birthplace of Nazhu pearl
2. Pearl farmers sorting bags of pearl oysters
3. Pearl farmer opening shells of oyster, cutting pearl out
4. Various of pearls in shells
5. Pearl farmer Xie Zimei implanting beads in oysters
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Xie Zimei, pearl farmer:
"The revitalization of Nanzhu makes me happy. I can be back home and implant oysters."
7. Various of Xie implanting beads in oysters
8. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Xie Zimei, pearl farmer:
"For us living by the sea, some go fishing, and some implant pearl oysters. The policy is good, and I can stay close to home and take care of my kids. It’s better than working in a factory."
9. Xie implanting beads in oysters
10. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Caiji, pearl farmer:
"In my memory, pearls are good, smooth and shiny."
11. Various of Chen heading to pearl farm
12. Chen, workers harvesting oysters
13. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Caiji, pearl farmer:
"For shellfish, we need to clean them regularly. Otherwise, they can get sick and turn black."
14. Various of workers measuring size of pearls
15. Various of workers harvesting pearls
The precious Nanzhu pearl has become the economic driver of its production area, bringing in lucrative income for local cultivators.
The pearl has experienced two recessions due to improper exploitation, but has finally regained ground.
Nanzhu, literally the pearl from the South China Sea, is considered the best of its kind in the country.
Originally from Bailong Village in Beihai City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the pearl has a harvesting history of over 3,000 years. Legend has it that during the Han Dynasty, over 1,800 years ago, people once exploited the beads excessively due to its value, which broke the pearl oysters' life cycle and affected the environmental balance.
In the past decade, Nanzhu production also decreased dramatically due to the prevalence of interbreeding across generations, which caused the mollusks to decrease in size.
Prematurely inserted irritant beads and abbreviated farming practices led to smaller, low-quality pearls that paled in comparison to their larger freshwater counterparts, according to a local pearl merchant.
The turning point came in 2017, when local government tried its best to revitalize the local pearl industry. Incentive polices were enacted and companies attracted to the area for pearl cultivation and business.
Oysters were handed to villagers, who then grow them for about a year and a half before inserting the nuclei. The companies then organize artificial "seeding," harvesting and sales.
Xie Zimei is a local pearl farmer who is skillful at implanting nuclei into the shells, as she started to be trained at the age of seven. However, she fled the once impoverished village and became a migrant worker years ago. She came back after the pearl industry began to thrive in the village.
"The revitalization of Nanzhu makes me happy. I can be back home and implant oysters," she said.
She also said that the people living by the sea have a natural duty to fish and plant pearls.
"For us living by the sea, some go fishing, and some implant pearl oysters. The policy is good, and I can stay close to home and take care of my kids. It’s better than working in a factory," she said.
Chen Caiji is also among the homecomers. He started a pearl farm and tries to cultivate top-level pearls just as he remember they used to be like.
"In my memory, pearls are good, smooth and shiny," he said.
Chen takes meticulous care of his oysters.
"For shellfish, we need to clean them regularly. Otherwise, they can get sick and turn black," said Chen.
Since the government launched the initiative, the annual pearl harvest has grown from fewer than 100 kilograms to over 600 kilograms in 2020. And the number of large pearl farms has increased to 19 from just five in 2017.
China-Pearl Industry/Beihai
Dateline : Recent
Location : China
Duration : 2'00
Beihai City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Aerial shots of Bailong village, birthplace of Nazhu pearl
2. Pearl farmers sorting bags of pearl oysters
3. Pearl farmer opening shells of oyster, cutting pearl out
4. Various of pearls in shells
5. Pearl farmer Xie Zimei implanting beads in oysters
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Xie Zimei, pearl farmer:
"The revitalization of Nanzhu makes me happy. I can be back home and implant oysters."
7. Various of Xie implanting beads in oysters
8. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Xie Zimei, pearl farmer:
"For us living by the sea, some go fishing, and some implant pearl oysters. The policy is good, and I can stay close to home and take care of my kids. It’s better than working in a factory."
9. Xie implanting beads in oysters
10. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Caiji, pearl farmer:
"In my memory, pearls are good, smooth and shiny."
11. Various of Chen heading to pearl farm
12. Chen, workers harvesting oysters
13. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Caiji, pearl farmer:
"For shellfish, we need to clean them regularly. Otherwise, they can get sick and turn black."
14. Various of workers measuring size of pearls
15. Various of workers harvesting pearls
The precious Nanzhu pearl has become the economic driver of its production area, bringing in lucrative income for local cultivators.
The pearl has experienced two recessions due to improper exploitation, but has finally regained ground.
Nanzhu, literally the pearl from the South China Sea, is considered the best of its kind in the country.
Originally from Bailong Village in Beihai City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the pearl has a harvesting history of over 3,000 years. Legend has it that during the Han Dynasty, over 1,800 years ago, people once exploited the beads excessively due to its value, which broke the pearl oysters' life cycle and affected the environmental balance.
In the past decade, Nanzhu production also decreased dramatically due to the prevalence of interbreeding across generations, which caused the mollusks to decrease in size.
Prematurely inserted irritant beads and abbreviated farming practices led to smaller, low-quality pearls that paled in comparison to their larger freshwater counterparts, according to a local pearl merchant.
The turning point came in 2017, when local government tried its best to revitalize the local pearl industry. Incentive polices were enacted and companies attracted to the area for pearl cultivation and business.
Oysters were handed to villagers, who then grow them for about a year and a half before inserting the nuclei. The companies then organize artificial "seeding," harvesting and sales.
Xie Zimei is a local pearl farmer who is skillful at implanting nuclei into the shells, as she started to be trained at the age of seven. However, she fled the once impoverished village and became a migrant worker years ago. She came back after the pearl industry began to thrive in the village.
"The revitalization of Nanzhu makes me happy. I can be back home and implant oysters," she said.
She also said that the people living by the sea have a natural duty to fish and plant pearls.
"For us living by the sea, some go fishing, and some implant pearl oysters. The policy is good, and I can stay close to home and take care of my kids. It’s better than working in a factory," she said.
Chen Caiji is also among the homecomers. He started a pearl farm and tries to cultivate top-level pearls just as he remember they used to be like.
"In my memory, pearls are good, smooth and shiny," he said.
Chen takes meticulous care of his oysters.
"For shellfish, we need to clean them regularly. Otherwise, they can get sick and turn black," said Chen.
Since the government launched the initiative, the annual pearl harvest has grown from fewer than 100 kilograms to over 600 kilograms in 2020. And the number of large pearl farms has increased to 19 from just five in 2017.
ID : 8187228
Published : 2021-04-10 22:08
Last Modified : 2021-04-11 17:01:00
Source : China Global Television Network (CGTN)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
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