In a freshly harvested field in Lanzhou, Gansu province, 54-year-old farmer Jin Yougang gently broke open a bulb he had just dug from the soil. "The Lanzhou lily has a naturally sweet taste and can be eaten fresh as a fruit," he said.

Jin is a lily grower from Agan town in Qilihe district, an ideal production area for Lanzhou lilies. The district's output reached 33,000 metric tons, valued at 1 billion yuan ($140 million) in 2025.

Rare in nature and distinctive in taste, the Lanzhou lily is widely regarded as the only edible sweet lily in China, and possibly in the world. Its flavor, however, comes at the cost of time.

From a small bulb to a fully grown plant, the process takes up to nine years. "Three years to sprout, three to grow, and three to mature," Jin explained.

With more than 400 years of cultivation history, it has evolved from a local specialty into a thriving industry, supporting rural livelihoods and producing a wide range of products that generate an estimated market value of over 6.1 billion yuan. It is exported to Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Southeast Asia, according to a report released by the Qilihe district's agricultural industrialization office.

Yet even as demand grows, challenges remain. Years of traditional propagation have led to variety degradation, affecting quality and yield. "Through laboratory-based propagation techniques such as virus-free seedling production, we remove pathogens from Lanzhou lilies and restore their vitality through purification and rejuvenation, improving overall quality and paving the way for a shift toward high-end development," said Li Bin, a senior expert at the agricultural technology extension station in Qilihe district .

"We are using both sexual and asexual breeding strategies, alongside rapid propagation techniques, to systematically improve the variety," Li said. "By integrating these methods, we aim to establish a more stable and efficient cultivation system."

Li added that by optimizing propagation systems, the growth cycle of Lanzhou lily could be shortened from nine years to around six, while maintaining its signature sweetness and nutritional value. "The ultimate goal is to enhance both quality and productivity through technology, so farmers can increase their income while consumers receive a better product," he said.