山西运城闻喜县薛店镇通过引进现代农业技术，将远志种植发展成为一项规模巨大的产业。该镇中药材种植面积已达3.8万亩，年销售额突破15亿元人民币[1]。远志产量占全国60%以上，赢得"中华远志第一镇"的称号[1]。
远志种植在薛店镇具有深厚的历史基础。这项产业的种植历史已逾260年，早在清代乾隆年间编纂的《闻喜县志》中，远志就被列为当地物产[1]。从20世纪90年代的最初五六百亩，到2012年扩至3万余亩，再到当今的3.8万亩规模，产业实现了持续增长[1]。
薛店镇已成为远志产业的主要从业地。目前从事中药材产业的人数超过6000人，占全镇劳动力的95%[1]。随着市场需求年均增速约15%，该镇计划于2027年建成华北最大的中药材产地交易市场，进一步完善产业生态[1]。
Xuedian Town in Wenxi County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province, has transformed itself into a major hub for traditional Chinese medicine cultivation through modern agricultural techniques and academic collaboration.[1] The town's medicinal herb planting area now spans 3.8 million mu, generating annual sales exceeding 1.5 billion yuan.[1] Among these crops, Polygala tenuifolia—commonly known as yuan zhi—has become the town's flagship product, accounting for over 60% of national output and earning Xuedian the title of "China's Premier Yuan Zhi Town."[1]
The development reflects both historical roots and contemporary growth. Yuan zhi cultivation in the region traces back more than 260 years, with records from the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty documenting the herb as a local specialty in county archives.[1] The industry experienced rapid expansion from the 1990s onward, growing from initial plots of just five to six hundred mu to over 30,000 mu by 2012.[1] Today, more than 6,000 residents are engaged in medicinal herb production, representing 95% of the town's workforce.[1]
Looking ahead, Xuedian Town plans to establish the largest medicinal herb trading market in North China by 2027, capitalizing on steady market demand that grows approximately 15% annually.[1] The expansion builds on existing partnerships with research institutions, including collaboration with Nankai University, to introduce modern agricultural technologies and sustain the industry's competitive advantage.[1]