Choy sum, a type of cabbage that is a common sight at dinner tables and Cantonese restaurants in South China, often comes from another part of the country entirely.

Yuanzhou district of Guyuan in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region sells 70 percent of its cool-weather vegetables to other areas, making its vegetable industry a pillar of the district.

Lying at the eastern foot of Liupan Mountain at the southern tip of the region, Guyuan has an annual average temperature of 6.3 C and an altitude of 1,450-2,500 meters, perfect conditions for these crops.

"Cool-weather vegetables" refers to breeds produced in places with cool summer temperatures between 17-25 C. This includes cabbages, carrots and onions.

With five vegetable firms and more than 70 cooperatives involving 17,000 households of local farmers, Yuanzhou is estimated to reach a total output of 700,000 tons valued at more than 1.8 billion yuan in 2022.