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Abstract Jiangxi Guangchang traditional lotus culture system was selected into the fourth batch of China’s important agricultural cultural heritage in 2017. The system consists of three parts： lotus， lotus cultivation techniques and lotus culture. It has notable characteristics of ancient origin， regional distribution， system complexity， biodiversity， advanced technology and extensive influence， and has ten kinds of value， i.e.， edible value， medical value， economic value， social value， ecological value， cultural value， tourism value， popular science value， scientific research value and educational value.
Key words Agricultural cultural heritage; Jiangxi Guangchang traditional lotus culture system; Characteristics; Value; Protection; Sustainable development
Received： March 16， 2021 Accepted： May 26， 2021
Supported by National Key R&D Project （2016YFD0300208）; National Natural Science Foundation of China （41661070）; Consultant and Research Project of the Chinese Academy of Engineering （2017-XY-28）.
Guoqin HUANG （1962-）， male， P. R. China， level-2 professor， postdoctor， doctoral advisor， devoted to research about farming system， agricultural ecology， agricultural cultural heritage， and sustainable agricultural development.
*Corresponding author. E-mail： hgqjxes@sina.com.
Lotus （Nelumbo nucifera）， also known as Shuizhi， Shuihua， Handan， etc.， is a plant belonging to the genus Nelumbo， as well as an important domestic economic resource and special economic crop[1]. In the long-term artificial cultivation， according to the application value and usage of lotus， it can be divided into three types： Zilian， Oulian， and Hualian. Among them， those that mainly produce lotus seeds are called Zilian， those that mainly produce lotus roots are called Oulian， and those that are mainly ornamental are called Hualian. Zilian is divided into Tongxin white lotus （peeled Tongxin） and Honglian （non-peeled Tongxin， commonly known as Xianglian）. Tongxin white lotus is divided into Ganlian （produced in Jiangxi）， Jianlian （produced in Fujian）， Xuanlian （produced in Wuyi， Zhejiang） and so on. There are currently three well-known brands in China， Ganlian， Xianglian and Jianlian. The national planting area of Zilian is about 100 000 hm mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River[2]， including 33 300 to 40 000 hm2 in Hubei Province， 23 300 to 26 700 hm2 in Jiangxi Province， 10 000 to 13 300 hm2 in Hunan Province， 6 700-10 000 hm2 in Fujian Province， 3 300-5 300 hm2 in Zhejiang Province， and 3 300-5 300 hm2 in other areas. Jiangxi Ganlian is mainly distributed in Guangchang， Shicheng and Ningdu. Among them， the "Guangchang white lotus" is the most prestigious， and Guangchang County is known as the "Hometown of China’s white lotus". In 2017， the "Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Planting Cultural System" was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as the "Fourth Batch of China’s Important Agricultural Cultural Heritage"[3]. On the basis of investigation and research， we analyzed the composition， characteristics， and value of the Jiangxi Guangchang traditional lotus culture system， so as to make positive contributions to the protection and sustainable development of the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi Province.
Overview
Guangchang County is located in the southeast of Jiangxi Province， at the western foot of Wuyi Mountain. It borders Jianning and Ninghua in the east， Ningdu in the west， Shicheng in the south， and Nanfeng in the north. Guangchang County is the southern gate of Fuzhou City and the birthplace of Fuhe， the second largest river in Jiangxi. The county was founded in the eighth year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty （1138）， and it was named because "its roads connect with Fujian and Guangdong and it is belongs to Jianchang"[4]. The county has a total area of 1 612 km2 and a total population of 250 000. Guangchang County has jurisdiction over 6 towns （Xujiang Town， Toupi Town， Chishui Town， Yiqian Town， Ganzhu Town， Tangfang Town）， 5 townships （Qianshan Township， Shuinanxu Township， Changqiao Township， Yangxi Township， Jianfeng Township）， 1 farm， a total of 129 administrative villages and 1 provincial-level industrial park. There are five types of soil in Guangchang County： red soil， yellow soil， purple soil， fluvo-aquic soil， and paddy soil. There are three types of arable land， paddy soil， fluvo-aquic soil， and red soil. The total arable land area in Guangchang County is 12 322.4 hm of which paddy field area is 11 307.3 hm2 and dry land is 1 015.1 hm2. In agricultural production， Guangchang County grows a variety of crops， such as rice， soybeans， rapeseeds， tobacco leaves， vegetables， and aquatic crops lotus seeds. Because of the abundance of white lotus， it is known as "the hometown of white lotus in China" and "the first lotus town in China" [5].
As an important agricultural cultural heritage in China， the "Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Planting Cultural System" consists of three parts： lotus， lotus cultivation techniques and lotus culture. Lotus is the main body of this agricultural cultural heritage. Here， the lotus is mainly Zilian and white lotus， which is different from Oulian， Hualian， and Honglian mentioned above. The planting， breeding and processing of lotus produce a variety of "lotus products"， such as Guangchang Tongxin white lotus， lotus leaf tea， lotus root powder， lotus seed juice， lotus core tea， lotus seed noodles， lotus root flour noodles， lotus seed milk powder， lotus seed biscuits， lotus seed health products， mushrooms with tea plant， etc. Lotus cultivation techniques include Guangchang white lotus cultivation techniques （such as variety selection， fertilization， field management， etc.）， breeding techniques （such as lotus field fish farming techniques）， cultivation and breeding combining techniques （lotus and fishery combining techniques）， processing techniques， storage techniques， etc. Lotus culture is the "root" and "soul" of this agricultural cultural heritage. Without lotus culture， no matter how good lotus is， no matter how advanced technology it is， it will not become an agricultural cultural heritage， let alone an important agricultural cultural heritage in China. Lotus culture is positive， full of educational significance and positive guidance. For example， the "beauty culture"， "harmony culture"， and "clean government culture" in it all have positive energy and significance. Characteristics
Ancient origin
Ancient origin and long history are common features of many agricultural cultural heritages， and the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi is no exception. According to Ming Zhengde’s Jianchang Mansion Records （Jianchang Fuzhi） and Qing Tongzhi’s Guangchang County Records （Guangchang Xianzhi）[6]. The planting history of Guangchang white lotus has a long history. It has a history of more than 1 300 years from the Tang Yifeng reign.
Distribution areas
The white lotus planting areas in Jiangxi Province are mainly distributed in the 3 counties of Guangchang， Shicheng and Ningdu. As the "hometown of white lotus in China"， Guangchang County， the planting area of white lotus has been stable at more than 7 333.3 hm2 for many years， with an output value of more than 700 million yuan[7]. The planting area of white lotus in Shicheng County in 2017 is 5 333.3 hm with a total output value of 360 million yuan[8]. Ningdu County has a lotus field area of 3 133.3 hm and the ecological planting model of lotus field fish farming is implemented， by which the lotus seed production can increase by 10%-20%， and the output of fish can increase by 20%-30%[9].
Systematic complexity
The traditional lotus cultivation culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi， is actually a complex system composed of lotus cultivation ecosystem， lotus cultivation economic system， lotus cultivation technical system， lotus cultivation culture system and lotus cultivation social system. ① The lotus cultivation ecosystem is composed of lotus field organisms and the environment， and has the basic functions of energy flow and material circulation， which is the most important and most basic system in the traditional lotus cultivation culture system of Guangchang， Jiangxi， and is also the premise and foundation for the existence and development of other 4 systems （lotus cultivation economic system， lotus cultivation technical system， lotus cultivation culture system and lotus cultivation social system）. Without the lotus ecosystem， without energy flow and material circulation， other systems would not exist. ② The lotus cultivation economic system is composed of lotus production， exchange， distribution， consumption and other links. Its essence and core is that the system has economic functions and economic value， and can solve the livelihood problems of the producers， which is also the fundamental reason why the masses have planted lotus for thousands of years. ③ The lotus cultivation technical system includes lotus cultivation techniques， cultivation and breeding combining techniques， processing techniques， storage techniques， and the production techniques （craft） of various lotus products such as lotus food， medicine， and handicrafts. ④ The lotus culture system includes the customs and lifestyles formed during the production， processing， and consumption of lotus， as well as the culture， tradition and spirit contained in it. On the whole， the "lotus culture" and "lotus spirit" are positive and upward， with educational significance and positive energy. ⑤ The lotus cultivation social system is the entire system taking "people" （mainly farmers） as the main body， including lotus （and the entire farmland creatures related to lotus）， lotus cultivation techniques， lotus culture， and related village rules and folk conventions， ethics， morals， laws， regulations， and various humanistic material and spiritual aspects. Biodiversity
The biodiversity of the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi is reflected in three aspects. ① Variety diversity： Since the founding of New China， Guangchang County has bred and promoted the white lotus varieties mainly including ‘Guangchang Baihualian’， ‘Guangchang Baiyelian’， ‘Ganlian 85-4’， ‘Ganlian 85-5’， ‘Ganlian 62’， ‘Ganfu 86’， ‘Ganlian OA’， ‘Space lotus 1’， ‘Space lotus 2’， ‘Space lotus 3’， ‘Space lotus 7’， ‘Space lotus 9 ’， ‘Space lotus 36’， ‘Shuguangxiu’， ‘Xingkong Mudan’， ‘Guanglian 1’， etc.[10]. ② Species diversity： As mentioned above， the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi is a complex system of ecology， economy， technology， culture and society. In this system， humans are not only the constituents of the system， but also the managers and regulators. In addition to humans， there are lotus and lotus field ecosystem plants （such as weeds）， animals （such as insects and their natural enemies）， microorganisms （such as soil microorganisms） and other species composition. ③ Model diversity： The diversity of Guangchang white lotus species and the diversity of lotus field species have led to the diversity of white lotus cultivation patterns and cultivation and breeding combining patterns. The cultivation patterns of white lotus in Guangchang County include "Zilian-late rice" （"-" refers to sequential cropping， the same below）， "Zilian/aquatic water spinach" （"/" refers to relay-intercropping， the same below）， "Zilian/Alisma orientalis" and so on. The planting patterns combining white lotus planting and breeding include "lotus field fish breeding"， "lotus field loach breeding "， "lotus field eel breeding"， "lotus field nesting turtle breeding"， "lotus field duck breeding "，"Lotus and shrimp co-culture"， "lotus root × loach × frog" （"×" refers to mixed-intercropping， polyculture， the same below） and so on.
Technological advancement
Establishment of technology research and development organization
① The White Lotus Scientific Research Institute was established. In 1984， the first white lotus scientific research institute in the country， Guangchang White Lotus Scientific Research Institute was established. The institute concentrates the scientific and technological strength of the whole county and even the whole country to carry out the scientific research and development of the white lotus. ② The Science and Technology Exposition Park was established. Beginning in 2008， Guangchang County has established the Lotus Science and Technology Exposition Park with the theme of Zilian scientific research， which integrates Zilian scientific research， improved varieties breeding， popular science training， lotus culture display， tourism and sightseeing， etc.， which has greatly promoted Guangchang white lotus technology research and development. ③ The white lotus academician workstation was established. On November 28， 2017， the opening ceremony of the academician workstation of Guangchang White Lotus Scientific Research Institute was held， which marked the official establishment of China’s first academician workstation. In order to further expand and strengthen the white lotus industry and promote the development of the entire industrial chain of Guangchang white lotus， Guangchang County vigorously implements the strategy of technological innovation-driven， talent development-driven， and characteristic industry-driven strategies. And relying on the platform of the first county-level white lotus scientific research institute in China， Guangchang County actively carries out the action of flexibly borrowing wisdom to attract talents， and focuses on the research of white lotus germplasm resources and new varieties breeding， high-yield cultivation， optimized fertilization， pest control， etc.， injecting strong impetus and technical support for the development of Guangchang white lotus industry. Carrying out high-tech breeding
Since 1994， Guangchang County has conducted 5 space breeding and ion implantation studies of white lotus， and the cultivated ‘Space lotus’ series of varieties have become the main varieties of Zilian in China， with a cumulative area of 666 700 hm2. Guangchang County has become China’s largest introduction base of white lotus[7].
Formulation of national standards
At present， Guangchang has more than 20 white lotus series product enterprises that conduct deep processing of white lotus， and has developed more than 20 white lotus series products. "Guangchang white lotus" has obtained the national geographical indication protection product certification and the title of China’s famous brand agricultural products， and has obtained 16 relevant product certification certificates， and the national standard "Geographical Indication Product Guangchang White Lotus" （GB/T 20356-2006） has been formulated and promulgated[11].
Widespread influence
Large promotion area
According to statistics[7]， the excellent varieties of white lotus such as ‘Ganlian 85-4’， ‘Ganlian 85-5’， ‘Ganlian 62’， and ‘Space lotus’ selected and bred in Guangchang County have been promoted in a total area of more than 200 000 hm2 nationwide; and 80% of the white lotus producing areas introduced Guangchang Space lotus species.
Gaining more rewards
The new white lotus variety ‘Ganlian 62’ cultivated by the Guangchang White Lotus Science Research Institute won the gold medal of the first National Agricultural Expo and the gold medal of the 5th Asia and Pacific International Trade Expo. The white lotus variety "Space lotus 3" won the Outdoor Vegetable Silver Award and the Indoor Dried Vegetable and Dried Fruit Bronze Award at the Kunming World Horticultural Exposition. "Space Jiaorong" and "Starry sky Mudan" won the first and second prizes of the 18th National Lotus Exhibition. In 2008， "Guangchang white lotus" won the title of China’s Famous Brand Agricultural Products. In 201 Guangchang white lotus was listed as a protected product of geographical indications of agricultural products by the Ministry of Agriculture[12].
Widely praised
As mentioned above， Guangchang County is well-known as the "Hometown of White Lotus in China" and the country’s largest producer of Tongxin white lotus[12]. The white lotus seeds that are abundant in Guangchang County are white， large， sweet， fragrant， and rich in nutrition. It is known as the "treasure of the lotus" and has been called the "gong lotus" in the past. In particular， the county party committee and the county government have held 9 consecutive "International Lotus Festivals" since 2006， which has increased the influence of the white lotus in Guangchang County and greatly improved the visibility and influence of the agricultural cultural heritage of Guangchang， the town of white lotus. The saying "Lotus produced in other areas rather than Guangchang is nothing and not fragrant" has been recognized by more and more people. Guoqin HUANG. Characteristics and Value of Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi Province
Value
Edible value
The important edible parts of Guangchang white lotus are lotus seeds and underground stem lotus roots. In fact， the edible value of lotus leaves， lotus stamen and green cores is also very high. Guangchang white lotus seeds have excellent quality， white color， big grain， sweet and fragrant， rich in nutrition， and it is easy to be stewed and boiled， and the soup is clear and soft. It is high in protein， low in fat， rich in amino acids， and contains multiple vitamins， sugar， and calcium， phosphorus， iron， zinc， molybdenum， manganese， titanium and many other nutrients. It is an excellent food in daily life. Lotus roots are the fat rhizomes of lotus， also known as Oujie. People have eaten lotus roots as a vegetable as early as the Zhou Dynasty. Studies have found[13] that every 100 g of lotus root contains soluble solids 5.62 g， vitamin C 35.63 mg， fat 0.2 g， calories 75 kcal， carbohydrate 15.2 g， carotene 0.02 g， in addition to many trace elements such as calcium and iron. Lotus leaves are rich in nuciferine， citric acid， malic acid， succinic acid， etc.， and are a good food material as both vegetable and medicine. It can be used fresh， and can also be dried， decocted， brewed in tea， porridge， rice， etc.， to take its fragrant flavor， such as lotus leaf tea， lotus leaf japonica rice porridge， lotus Dongpo fish， lotus leaf steamed pork， etc. Lotus stamen and green cores are also good food ingredients. It can be seen that the expansion of Guangchang white lotus production has played a positive role in increasing food supply， maintaining nutrition and health， and ensuring food safety in the county.
Medicinal value
Guangchang white lotus is a medicinal and food homologous product. In addition to its edible value， it also has a wide range of medicinal value[14]， and it is a traditional nourishing health food. Guangchang white lotus is full of treasures. Lotus seeds have the functions of nourishing the heart， nourishing the kidney， nourishing the spleen， and astringing intestines to stop diarrhea. In Compendium of Materia Medica， it is recorded that the lotus seeds "consolidate the heart and kidney， thicken the intestines and stomach， consolidate essence and qi， strengthen the bones and muscles， nourish the deficiency， improve the eyes and ears， remove cold and dampness， and stop spleen diarrhea， chronic dysentery， red and white turbidity， and morbid leucorrh（o）ea" Sheng Nong’s Herbal Classic records： "Lotus helps to attain mental tranquility， tonifys qi， eliminates all diseases， and can promote longevity after long-term consumption." Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Tongxin white lotus has the functions of strengthening the stomach， nourishing the spleen， moistening the lungs and nourishing the heart， nourishing yin and blood， and strengthening the essence and nourishing the kidney. Various parts of the lotus plant， such as lotus roots， lotus stems， lotus leaf pedicle， lotus leaves， lotus flowers， lotus stamen， lotus seed pots， green cores， etc.， can also be used as medicines to make nourishing or curative foods. Modern studies have shown that Guangchang white lotus is rich in ingredients with medicinal value such as oxoushinsunine. Economic value
Increasing farmers’ income
In 129 administrative villages in Guangchang County， the planting of white lotus has basically been fully covered， especially the planting of the ‘Space lotus’ variety， which has greatly improved the yield and quality of white lotus. Planting white lotus has become an important way for farmers in China to get rich.
Improving enterprise efficiency
In December 2017， led by Zhichun Food Co.， Ltd.， a leading enterprise in the industrialization of agriculture at the provincial level， the Guangchang White Lotus Industrialization Consortium was established on the basis of merging two family farms， six white lotus farmers’ cooperatives， seven lotus product deep processing companies， three lotus product waste utilization companies， two lotus product processing machinery companies， two lotus cultural and creative product production and sales companies， and two lotus culture and leisure tourism companies. The consortium is an industrial alliance with Guangchang white lotus product production， processing， sales， and cultural tourism development as its business operations. Since its establishment， the consortium has formed a complete and continuously extending green white lotus industry chain， effectively integrating resources from all parties， giving full play to the advantages of members， and fully exploring and using white lotus resources， which greatly increases the added value of the white lotus industry. It not only increases the efficiency of enterprises， but also drives the increase of farmers’ income. Through the construction of bases and contract farming， the consortium has driven lotus farmers （planting） on the road to increase income and get rich. The average income of lotus farmers increased by 4 100 yuan. The members of the consortium also arranged 146 farmers to work in factories， with an average annual income increase of 30 000 yuan per capita. In 2018， the consortium led 6 521 lotus farmers to increase their income by 2 000 yuan per capita. The consortium also signed contracts with 4 500 non-member farmers， generating income of 60.09 million yuan for them. The consortium forms helping pairs with poor villages， giving poor households a living allowance of 300 yuan/month， driving 280 poor households， and generating 5.12 million yuan in income for them[15].
Developing county economy
The total annual output value of the white lotus industry in Guangchang County has exceeded 700 million yuan. The white lotus industry has become a pillar industry of Guangchang county economy. Social value
Increasing employment
According to statistics[7]， there are currently more than 20 000 professional farmers engaged in white lotus planting in Guangchang County， more than 6 000 white lotus circulation and management talents， more than 5 200 white lotus deep processing industry talents， and more than 500 lotus tourism service talents. Guangchang white lotus industry has played an important role in cultivating talents and increasing employment.
Getting rid of poverty
Aiming at some poor farmers and poor people， Guangchang County implements precise industrial assistance policies relying on the development of the millennium white lotus industry， increasing the average annual income of the poor households by more than 3 000 yuan. The poor households effectively got rid of poverty in a relatively short period of time. The county’s strategic goal of poverty alleviation has been realized[16].
Promoting harmony
Guangchang County takes the white lotus industry as the leader and traction， develops organic white lotus and selenium-rich white lotus， develops "Lianxiang people" characteristic homestay， and selects and commends "the most beautiful lotus people". The social atmosphere has been greatly improved， and families with honesty， piety， and collective love can be seen everywhere.
Ecological value
The ecological value of the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi can be briefly summarized as optimizing the above-ground environment （optimizing and beautifying the microclimate environment of the above-ground farmland） and purifying the underground environment （purifying the water body and soil environment）". ① Carbon absorption and oxygen release： Lotus leave are huge and has high photosynthesis efficiency. They can absorb and utilize a large amount of CO2 in the air and produce O which has a positive effect on regulating the ecological environment of farmland and alleviating climate warming. ② Temperature regulation： In the high-temperature summer season， Guangchang white lotus leaves effectively reduce the environmental temperature through transpiration， thereby regulating the microclimate of the farmland and the surrounding environment. ③ Water quality purification： Guangchang white lotus has the ability to absorb， transfer and transform the nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients and related toxic and harmful substances （including soil heavy metals） in farmland water and soil， thereby purifying soil and water bodies and maintaining excellent water quality in farmland. ④ Soil fertilization： In the traditional lotus culture system of Guangchang in Jiangxi， the farmland not only grows Guangchang white lotus， but also raises fish， ducks， and loach， and the litter of the white lotus and the excrement of fish， ducks， and loach are discharged into the farmland， which plays an important role in improving soil fertility. ⑤ Fertilizer saving and drugs reducing， green development： In the white lotus farmland farming system， various "wastes" are the best organic fertilizer， which can greatly reduce the amount of chemical fertilizer; and in the lotus field ecosystem， various organisms （white lotus， fish， duck， loach， etc.） symbiotically complement each other and coordinate with each other， which can achieve the effects of green prevention and control and ecological disaster reduction， so that no agrochemicals are less used or not used， and farmland diseases， insects， and weeds can be effectively controlled， truly achieving green development. Cultural value
In the traditional lotus culture system of Guangchang， Jiangxi， the lotus culture has a long history， broad and profound， rich in connotation， and has the characteristics of positiveness， goodness and beauty. First of all， lotus culture is a "beauty culture". Lotus is one of the "Top Ten Famous Flowers in China". "The lotus leaves are infinitely green like the sky， and the lotus is especially red in the sun" is a true portrayal of the beauty of lotus. Secondly， lotus culture is a "harmony culture". Lotus and harmony are homophonic in Chinese， and it symbolizes people’s pursuit of world peace， social harmony， family harmony， and personal harmony， to ultimately achieve the harmonious development of man and nature. Third， the lotus culture is a "clean culture". Lotus and "Lian" are homophonic in Chinese， and lotus is a "gentle lotus" in that "the leaves are out of silt without staining， and washed in clear water without evil spirt". The lotus culture warns people to be noble， upright， and clean. The rich connotation of the lotus culture in Guangchang County is fully manifested and confirmed in the lotus pattern of the building complex in Yiqian Town， Guangchang Lotus Ancient Town[17].
Tourist value
In the traditional lotus culture system of Guangchang， Jiangxi， due to the "beauty" and great ornamental value of lotus， there are endless tourists visiting and sightseeing in Guangchang County every year. We took Yiqian Town， Guangchang County， the birthplace of Guangchang lotus culture， as an example in this study. The tourism industry in Yiqian Town has developed rapidly in recent years. The reasons are as follows： ① Large area of space lotus planting： Yaoxi Village， Yiqian Town， Guangchang County has the country’s largest space lotus planting base. The 866.67 hm2 "lotus field belt" is open every summer and is a tourist destination not to be missed. ② Prosperous lotus culture： As the birthplace of the Guangchang lotus culture， Yiqian Town， every summer when the lotus seeds are mature， people sit in groups in a circle to peel out the lotus seeds and push the green cores out， and the atmosphere is warm. On June 24 of the lunar calendar， the Lotus Prince Temple Fair will be held in Chishui Town， not far from Yiqian Town. The people of Yiqian Town will also actively participate to reward the lotus god， Qi Fuzhi， and celebrate the harvest. Every year， big and small festivals or all kinds of celebrations and celebrations， people like to treat the guests with a bowl of lotus seed soup. ③ Thousand-year ancient town civilization： Yiqian Town is an ancient town with a thousand years of age. It was awarded the first batch of historical and cultural towns by the People’s Government of Jiangxi Province in July 2003， and was named "National Historical and Cultural Town （Village）" in 2014. The ancient buildings in Yiqian Town are majestic， densely distributed in the center of the country fair， extending to the shore of Meixi in Fuyuan. They are one of the relatively well-preserved and large-scale ancient residential building complexes in Jiangxi Province. Stone carvings， wood carvings， and brick carvings in them can be regarded as masterpieces of ancient Jiangnan culture. Auspicious objects such as lotus， lotus leaves， seedpods and other auspicious objects can be seen everywhere， forming an erudite lotus culture. In 2006， Yiqian Town received a total of 16 000 tourists. By 2014， Yiqian Ancient Town received 91 200 tourists annually[18]. In 2018， the Implementation Opinions of the CPC Guangchang County Party Committee and Guangchang County People’s Government on Promoting the Development and Upgrading of Tourism Industry （Guangfa [2018] No.7） was released， clearly proposing to create a tourism brand of "Lianxiang in China·Zuimei Guangchang". Its main task is to build Guangchang County into a "national city of lotus culture" and promote the "Hometown of White Lotus in China"， "Hometown of Chinese Lotus Culture" and other brands. It indicates that the tourism value of the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi will be further revealed.
Popular science value
In May 2008， the CPC Guangchang County Party Committee and County Government began to build the White Lotus Science and Technology Exposition Park， which was completed and put into use in the early summer of 2009[19]. The completion of Guangchang White Lotus Science and Technology Exposition Park has fully demonstrated the historical origin and unique charm of the county’s white lotus culture and has become a national first-class professional white lotus exposition park. After the completion of the Exposition Park， it has attracted students from all over the county， Jiangxi Province， and the whole country， as well as master students and doctoral students in related majors to visit and study， which has played a good role in scientific publicity and popular science education. It can be said that the Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi has become a veritable white lotus popular science base.
Scientific research value
As an important agricultural cultural heritage in China， the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi is of great value and plays an active role in promoting scientific research and promoting scientific and technological progress. Its scientific research value is embodied in three aspects. First of all， as a scientific research object， scientific research material， scientific research base or "natural laboratory"， the traditional lotus culture system of Guangchang Jiangxi has many scientific "secrets" or ancestors "wisdom" worth exploring and discovering. First of all， as a scientific research object， scientific research material， scientific research base or "natural laboratory"， the Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi has many scientific "secrets" or ancestors "wisdom" worth exploring and discovering. Secondly， one of the important reasons why Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Culture System has been selected as an important agricultural cultural heritage in China is its remarkable achievements and positive progress in scientific research on white lotus， especially in the white lotus space breeding， production and processing technology innovation and other aspects where it has played a leading role. Third， in order to meet the requirements of the development of the new era， the Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi still has many scientific research topics to be studied， for example， the fundamental reason and internal mechanism of Guangchang in Jiangxi as the "Hometown of White Lotus in China"， the traditional lotus in Guangchang， Jiangxi， the mechanism of the interaction and coordination of various elements in the cultural system of the culture， and the structure， function and regulation methods of the Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi. Educational value
Guangchang traditional lotus culture system in Jiangxi also has important educational value. It takes "white" （clean white） and "lotus" （clean） as its distinctive features. "The leaves are out the silt without staining" educates people to "be clean and honest as an official"， and be a "honest， noble， upright， and incorruptible person"， a "gentleman". In fact， the educational value of the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi is far more than that. "She" is actually a "living" textbook and reference book full of educational significance. It is worthy of silent reading and recitation every day. It must be instructive.
Conclusions
Agricultural cultural heritage is an important part of Chinese cultural heritage. It has the characteristics of a long history， many types， and great value[20]. It contains the great wisdom of ancestors’ survival， production， life， and reproduction[21]. Cherishing and continuously exploring， researching， protecting and inheriting agricultural cultural heritage has important theoretical and practical significance for the currently implemented rural revitalization strategy， poverty alleviation， building of a well-off society in an all-round way， and high-quality economic and social development[22-23].
Since the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs released the first batch of China’s important agricultural cultural heritage list （19） in 2013， five batches of 118 projects have been released so far， distributed in 28 provinces， autonomous regions， and municipalities[24]. Jiangxi Province is an important agricultural province in southern China， with a large number of agricultural cultural heritage， wide distribution， and unique value[3]. "Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Planting Cultural System" is not only one of the fourth batch of China’s important agricultural cultural heritage （29） released in 2017， but also one of the six existing Chinese important agricultural cultural heritages in Jiangxi （Jiangxi Wannian Rice Cultivation System， Jiangxi Chongyi Hakka Terraced Field System， Jiangxi Nanfeng Tangerine Cultivation System， Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Cultivation System， Jiangxi Taihe Black-bone Chicken Forest Ecological Farming System， Jiangxi Hengfeng Pueraria lobata Cultivation System）， worthy of in-depth exploration and research.
At present， the Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi still has many outstanding problems such as area reduction， yield decline， variety reduction， quality degradation， soil pollution， increased pests and diseases， and reduction of sustainable development capabilities[25-26]. Effective countermeasures and measures are urgently needed， such as strengthening publicity and raising awareness， expanding the area of lotus cultivation and strengthening production management， improving the ecological environment and protecting biodiversity， consolidating the foundation and increasing investment， etc. From the perspective of the development situation at home and abroad， the protection， inheritance and development of agricultural cultural heritage has become one of the research hotspots and focuses of many scientific and technological workers in the fields of agriculture， agricultural history， ecology， geography， and environmental science[27]. Protecting agricultural cultural heritage and ensuring the sustainable development of agricultural cultural heritage has become one of the important contents and main paths to promote the green development and high-quality development of agriculture in the new era[28]. Further strengthening the excavation， research and protection of various agricultural cultural heritages such as the " Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Culture System" will be conducive to the inheritance and sustainable development of agricultural cultural heritage in Jiangxi and the whole country.
References
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[10] XIE KQ， ZOU DW， XU JX， et al. The status quo and development countermeasures of Guangchang white lotus industry[J]. China Vegetables， 2007（Z1）： 110-113. （in Chinese） [11] XIE KQ， XIE M， YANG LB， et al. GB/T 20356-2006， Product of geographical identification： Guangchang white lotus seed[S]. Beijing： China Standards Press， 2006： 2-4. （in Chinese）
[12] China Agricultural Yearbook Editorial Committee. Geographical indication protection product-Guangchang white lotus[A]. China Agriculture Yearbook （2017）[M]. Beijing： China Agriculture Press， 2018： 91. （in Chinese）
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[14] XUE BH. The medicinal effects of orange， lotus， and mulberry are derived from their natural properties[N]. Zhongguo Yiyao Bao， 2014-09-12（002）. （in Chinese）
[15] SHANG XD. Industry resource integration， production order creation and benefit connection strengthening： the growth and development of the agricultural industrialization consortium and organizational innovation advantages： Based on the observation of the Jiangxi Guangchang white lotus industrialization consortium[J]. China Farmers’ Cooperatives， 2019（7）： 33-35. （in Chinese）
[16] OUYANG QW. Building a beautiful and prosperous new countryside[J]. Modern Jiangxi （Contemporary Jiangxi）， 2018（8）： 14. （in Chinese）
[17] LI D. Inheritance and innovation of lotus culture： Exploration of lotus patterns in the architectural complex of Guangchang lotus ancient town[J]. Art Science and Technology， 2017（11）： 114. （in Chinese）
[18] GUAN W， SHI SG. Analysis of rural tourism’s accurate poverty alleviation in Yiqian Town[J]. Nongmin Zhifuzhiyou Yuekan， 2016（21）： 86-87. （in Chinese）
[19] XIE M. The lotus is especially red in the sun： Silhouette of the third batch of national agricultural standardization achievements in Guangchang County， Jiangxi[J]. Quality Exploration， 2013（7）： 10-12. （in Chinese）
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[24] MIN QW. Research priorities， problems and countermeasures of Important Agricultural Heritage Systems and their conservation[J]. Chinese Journal of Eco-Agriculture， 2020， 28（9）： 1285-1293. （in Chinese） [25] LIU DB， YU YF， YANG LB， et al. Problems and technical strategies for seed lotus production and fertilization in Guangchang County， Jiangxi Province[J]. China Vegetables， 2019（12）： 66-71. （in Chinese）
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[28] MIN QW， ZHANG BT， LIU MC. Strengthening research on agricultural cultural heritage protection and promoting poverty alleviation and rural revitalization strategies： A summary of the "Sixth National Conference on Agricultural Cultural Heritage"[J]. Ancient and Modern Agriculture， 2020（1）： 92-100. （in Chinese）
Key words Agricultural cultural heritage; Jiangxi Guangchang traditional lotus culture system; Characteristics; Value; Protection; Sustainable development
Received： March 16， 2021 Accepted： May 26， 2021
Supported by National Key R&D Project （2016YFD0300208）; National Natural Science Foundation of China （41661070）; Consultant and Research Project of the Chinese Academy of Engineering （2017-XY-28）.
Guoqin HUANG （1962-）， male， P. R. China， level-2 professor， postdoctor， doctoral advisor， devoted to research about farming system， agricultural ecology， agricultural cultural heritage， and sustainable agricultural development.
*Corresponding author. E-mail： hgqjxes@sina.com.
Lotus （Nelumbo nucifera）， also known as Shuizhi， Shuihua， Handan， etc.， is a plant belonging to the genus Nelumbo， as well as an important domestic economic resource and special economic crop[1]. In the long-term artificial cultivation， according to the application value and usage of lotus， it can be divided into three types： Zilian， Oulian， and Hualian. Among them， those that mainly produce lotus seeds are called Zilian， those that mainly produce lotus roots are called Oulian， and those that are mainly ornamental are called Hualian. Zilian is divided into Tongxin white lotus （peeled Tongxin） and Honglian （non-peeled Tongxin， commonly known as Xianglian）. Tongxin white lotus is divided into Ganlian （produced in Jiangxi）， Jianlian （produced in Fujian）， Xuanlian （produced in Wuyi， Zhejiang） and so on. There are currently three well-known brands in China， Ganlian， Xianglian and Jianlian. The national planting area of Zilian is about 100 000 hm mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River[2]， including 33 300 to 40 000 hm2 in Hubei Province， 23 300 to 26 700 hm2 in Jiangxi Province， 10 000 to 13 300 hm2 in Hunan Province， 6 700-10 000 hm2 in Fujian Province， 3 300-5 300 hm2 in Zhejiang Province， and 3 300-5 300 hm2 in other areas. Jiangxi Ganlian is mainly distributed in Guangchang， Shicheng and Ningdu. Among them， the "Guangchang white lotus" is the most prestigious， and Guangchang County is known as the "Hometown of China’s white lotus". In 2017， the "Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Planting Cultural System" was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as the "Fourth Batch of China’s Important Agricultural Cultural Heritage"[3]. On the basis of investigation and research， we analyzed the composition， characteristics， and value of the Jiangxi Guangchang traditional lotus culture system， so as to make positive contributions to the protection and sustainable development of the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi Province.
Overview
Guangchang County is located in the southeast of Jiangxi Province， at the western foot of Wuyi Mountain. It borders Jianning and Ninghua in the east， Ningdu in the west， Shicheng in the south， and Nanfeng in the north. Guangchang County is the southern gate of Fuzhou City and the birthplace of Fuhe， the second largest river in Jiangxi. The county was founded in the eighth year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty （1138）， and it was named because "its roads connect with Fujian and Guangdong and it is belongs to Jianchang"[4]. The county has a total area of 1 612 km2 and a total population of 250 000. Guangchang County has jurisdiction over 6 towns （Xujiang Town， Toupi Town， Chishui Town， Yiqian Town， Ganzhu Town， Tangfang Town）， 5 townships （Qianshan Township， Shuinanxu Township， Changqiao Township， Yangxi Township， Jianfeng Township）， 1 farm， a total of 129 administrative villages and 1 provincial-level industrial park. There are five types of soil in Guangchang County： red soil， yellow soil， purple soil， fluvo-aquic soil， and paddy soil. There are three types of arable land， paddy soil， fluvo-aquic soil， and red soil. The total arable land area in Guangchang County is 12 322.4 hm of which paddy field area is 11 307.3 hm2 and dry land is 1 015.1 hm2. In agricultural production， Guangchang County grows a variety of crops， such as rice， soybeans， rapeseeds， tobacco leaves， vegetables， and aquatic crops lotus seeds. Because of the abundance of white lotus， it is known as "the hometown of white lotus in China" and "the first lotus town in China" [5].
As an important agricultural cultural heritage in China， the "Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Planting Cultural System" consists of three parts： lotus， lotus cultivation techniques and lotus culture. Lotus is the main body of this agricultural cultural heritage. Here， the lotus is mainly Zilian and white lotus， which is different from Oulian， Hualian， and Honglian mentioned above. The planting， breeding and processing of lotus produce a variety of "lotus products"， such as Guangchang Tongxin white lotus， lotus leaf tea， lotus root powder， lotus seed juice， lotus core tea， lotus seed noodles， lotus root flour noodles， lotus seed milk powder， lotus seed biscuits， lotus seed health products， mushrooms with tea plant， etc. Lotus cultivation techniques include Guangchang white lotus cultivation techniques （such as variety selection， fertilization， field management， etc.）， breeding techniques （such as lotus field fish farming techniques）， cultivation and breeding combining techniques （lotus and fishery combining techniques）， processing techniques， storage techniques， etc. Lotus culture is the "root" and "soul" of this agricultural cultural heritage. Without lotus culture， no matter how good lotus is， no matter how advanced technology it is， it will not become an agricultural cultural heritage， let alone an important agricultural cultural heritage in China. Lotus culture is positive， full of educational significance and positive guidance. For example， the "beauty culture"， "harmony culture"， and "clean government culture" in it all have positive energy and significance. Characteristics
Ancient origin
Ancient origin and long history are common features of many agricultural cultural heritages， and the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi is no exception. According to Ming Zhengde’s Jianchang Mansion Records （Jianchang Fuzhi） and Qing Tongzhi’s Guangchang County Records （Guangchang Xianzhi）[6]. The planting history of Guangchang white lotus has a long history. It has a history of more than 1 300 years from the Tang Yifeng reign.
Distribution areas
The white lotus planting areas in Jiangxi Province are mainly distributed in the 3 counties of Guangchang， Shicheng and Ningdu. As the "hometown of white lotus in China"， Guangchang County， the planting area of white lotus has been stable at more than 7 333.3 hm2 for many years， with an output value of more than 700 million yuan[7]. The planting area of white lotus in Shicheng County in 2017 is 5 333.3 hm with a total output value of 360 million yuan[8]. Ningdu County has a lotus field area of 3 133.3 hm and the ecological planting model of lotus field fish farming is implemented， by which the lotus seed production can increase by 10%-20%， and the output of fish can increase by 20%-30%[9].
Systematic complexity
The traditional lotus cultivation culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi， is actually a complex system composed of lotus cultivation ecosystem， lotus cultivation economic system， lotus cultivation technical system， lotus cultivation culture system and lotus cultivation social system. ① The lotus cultivation ecosystem is composed of lotus field organisms and the environment， and has the basic functions of energy flow and material circulation， which is the most important and most basic system in the traditional lotus cultivation culture system of Guangchang， Jiangxi， and is also the premise and foundation for the existence and development of other 4 systems （lotus cultivation economic system， lotus cultivation technical system， lotus cultivation culture system and lotus cultivation social system）. Without the lotus ecosystem， without energy flow and material circulation， other systems would not exist. ② The lotus cultivation economic system is composed of lotus production， exchange， distribution， consumption and other links. Its essence and core is that the system has economic functions and economic value， and can solve the livelihood problems of the producers， which is also the fundamental reason why the masses have planted lotus for thousands of years. ③ The lotus cultivation technical system includes lotus cultivation techniques， cultivation and breeding combining techniques， processing techniques， storage techniques， and the production techniques （craft） of various lotus products such as lotus food， medicine， and handicrafts. ④ The lotus culture system includes the customs and lifestyles formed during the production， processing， and consumption of lotus， as well as the culture， tradition and spirit contained in it. On the whole， the "lotus culture" and "lotus spirit" are positive and upward， with educational significance and positive energy. ⑤ The lotus cultivation social system is the entire system taking "people" （mainly farmers） as the main body， including lotus （and the entire farmland creatures related to lotus）， lotus cultivation techniques， lotus culture， and related village rules and folk conventions， ethics， morals， laws， regulations， and various humanistic material and spiritual aspects. Biodiversity
The biodiversity of the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi is reflected in three aspects. ① Variety diversity： Since the founding of New China， Guangchang County has bred and promoted the white lotus varieties mainly including ‘Guangchang Baihualian’， ‘Guangchang Baiyelian’， ‘Ganlian 85-4’， ‘Ganlian 85-5’， ‘Ganlian 62’， ‘Ganfu 86’， ‘Ganlian OA’， ‘Space lotus 1’， ‘Space lotus 2’， ‘Space lotus 3’， ‘Space lotus 7’， ‘Space lotus 9 ’， ‘Space lotus 36’， ‘Shuguangxiu’， ‘Xingkong Mudan’， ‘Guanglian 1’， etc.[10]. ② Species diversity： As mentioned above， the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi is a complex system of ecology， economy， technology， culture and society. In this system， humans are not only the constituents of the system， but also the managers and regulators. In addition to humans， there are lotus and lotus field ecosystem plants （such as weeds）， animals （such as insects and their natural enemies）， microorganisms （such as soil microorganisms） and other species composition. ③ Model diversity： The diversity of Guangchang white lotus species and the diversity of lotus field species have led to the diversity of white lotus cultivation patterns and cultivation and breeding combining patterns. The cultivation patterns of white lotus in Guangchang County include "Zilian-late rice" （"-" refers to sequential cropping， the same below）， "Zilian/aquatic water spinach" （"/" refers to relay-intercropping， the same below）， "Zilian/Alisma orientalis" and so on. The planting patterns combining white lotus planting and breeding include "lotus field fish breeding"， "lotus field loach breeding "， "lotus field eel breeding"， "lotus field nesting turtle breeding"， "lotus field duck breeding "，"Lotus and shrimp co-culture"， "lotus root × loach × frog" （"×" refers to mixed-intercropping， polyculture， the same below） and so on.
Technological advancement
Establishment of technology research and development organization
① The White Lotus Scientific Research Institute was established. In 1984， the first white lotus scientific research institute in the country， Guangchang White Lotus Scientific Research Institute was established. The institute concentrates the scientific and technological strength of the whole county and even the whole country to carry out the scientific research and development of the white lotus. ② The Science and Technology Exposition Park was established. Beginning in 2008， Guangchang County has established the Lotus Science and Technology Exposition Park with the theme of Zilian scientific research， which integrates Zilian scientific research， improved varieties breeding， popular science training， lotus culture display， tourism and sightseeing， etc.， which has greatly promoted Guangchang white lotus technology research and development. ③ The white lotus academician workstation was established. On November 28， 2017， the opening ceremony of the academician workstation of Guangchang White Lotus Scientific Research Institute was held， which marked the official establishment of China’s first academician workstation. In order to further expand and strengthen the white lotus industry and promote the development of the entire industrial chain of Guangchang white lotus， Guangchang County vigorously implements the strategy of technological innovation-driven， talent development-driven， and characteristic industry-driven strategies. And relying on the platform of the first county-level white lotus scientific research institute in China， Guangchang County actively carries out the action of flexibly borrowing wisdom to attract talents， and focuses on the research of white lotus germplasm resources and new varieties breeding， high-yield cultivation， optimized fertilization， pest control， etc.， injecting strong impetus and technical support for the development of Guangchang white lotus industry. Carrying out high-tech breeding
Since 1994， Guangchang County has conducted 5 space breeding and ion implantation studies of white lotus， and the cultivated ‘Space lotus’ series of varieties have become the main varieties of Zilian in China， with a cumulative area of 666 700 hm2. Guangchang County has become China’s largest introduction base of white lotus[7].
Formulation of national standards
At present， Guangchang has more than 20 white lotus series product enterprises that conduct deep processing of white lotus， and has developed more than 20 white lotus series products. "Guangchang white lotus" has obtained the national geographical indication protection product certification and the title of China’s famous brand agricultural products， and has obtained 16 relevant product certification certificates， and the national standard "Geographical Indication Product Guangchang White Lotus" （GB/T 20356-2006） has been formulated and promulgated[11].
Widespread influence
Large promotion area
According to statistics[7]， the excellent varieties of white lotus such as ‘Ganlian 85-4’， ‘Ganlian 85-5’， ‘Ganlian 62’， and ‘Space lotus’ selected and bred in Guangchang County have been promoted in a total area of more than 200 000 hm2 nationwide; and 80% of the white lotus producing areas introduced Guangchang Space lotus species.
Gaining more rewards
The new white lotus variety ‘Ganlian 62’ cultivated by the Guangchang White Lotus Science Research Institute won the gold medal of the first National Agricultural Expo and the gold medal of the 5th Asia and Pacific International Trade Expo. The white lotus variety "Space lotus 3" won the Outdoor Vegetable Silver Award and the Indoor Dried Vegetable and Dried Fruit Bronze Award at the Kunming World Horticultural Exposition. "Space Jiaorong" and "Starry sky Mudan" won the first and second prizes of the 18th National Lotus Exhibition. In 2008， "Guangchang white lotus" won the title of China’s Famous Brand Agricultural Products. In 201 Guangchang white lotus was listed as a protected product of geographical indications of agricultural products by the Ministry of Agriculture[12].
Widely praised
As mentioned above， Guangchang County is well-known as the "Hometown of White Lotus in China" and the country’s largest producer of Tongxin white lotus[12]. The white lotus seeds that are abundant in Guangchang County are white， large， sweet， fragrant， and rich in nutrition. It is known as the "treasure of the lotus" and has been called the "gong lotus" in the past. In particular， the county party committee and the county government have held 9 consecutive "International Lotus Festivals" since 2006， which has increased the influence of the white lotus in Guangchang County and greatly improved the visibility and influence of the agricultural cultural heritage of Guangchang， the town of white lotus. The saying "Lotus produced in other areas rather than Guangchang is nothing and not fragrant" has been recognized by more and more people. Guoqin HUANG. Characteristics and Value of Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi Province
Value
Edible value
The important edible parts of Guangchang white lotus are lotus seeds and underground stem lotus roots. In fact， the edible value of lotus leaves， lotus stamen and green cores is also very high. Guangchang white lotus seeds have excellent quality， white color， big grain， sweet and fragrant， rich in nutrition， and it is easy to be stewed and boiled， and the soup is clear and soft. It is high in protein， low in fat， rich in amino acids， and contains multiple vitamins， sugar， and calcium， phosphorus， iron， zinc， molybdenum， manganese， titanium and many other nutrients. It is an excellent food in daily life. Lotus roots are the fat rhizomes of lotus， also known as Oujie. People have eaten lotus roots as a vegetable as early as the Zhou Dynasty. Studies have found[13] that every 100 g of lotus root contains soluble solids 5.62 g， vitamin C 35.63 mg， fat 0.2 g， calories 75 kcal， carbohydrate 15.2 g， carotene 0.02 g， in addition to many trace elements such as calcium and iron. Lotus leaves are rich in nuciferine， citric acid， malic acid， succinic acid， etc.， and are a good food material as both vegetable and medicine. It can be used fresh， and can also be dried， decocted， brewed in tea， porridge， rice， etc.， to take its fragrant flavor， such as lotus leaf tea， lotus leaf japonica rice porridge， lotus Dongpo fish， lotus leaf steamed pork， etc. Lotus stamen and green cores are also good food ingredients. It can be seen that the expansion of Guangchang white lotus production has played a positive role in increasing food supply， maintaining nutrition and health， and ensuring food safety in the county.
Medicinal value
Guangchang white lotus is a medicinal and food homologous product. In addition to its edible value， it also has a wide range of medicinal value[14]， and it is a traditional nourishing health food. Guangchang white lotus is full of treasures. Lotus seeds have the functions of nourishing the heart， nourishing the kidney， nourishing the spleen， and astringing intestines to stop diarrhea. In Compendium of Materia Medica， it is recorded that the lotus seeds "consolidate the heart and kidney， thicken the intestines and stomach， consolidate essence and qi， strengthen the bones and muscles， nourish the deficiency， improve the eyes and ears， remove cold and dampness， and stop spleen diarrhea， chronic dysentery， red and white turbidity， and morbid leucorrh（o）ea" Sheng Nong’s Herbal Classic records： "Lotus helps to attain mental tranquility， tonifys qi， eliminates all diseases， and can promote longevity after long-term consumption." Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Tongxin white lotus has the functions of strengthening the stomach， nourishing the spleen， moistening the lungs and nourishing the heart， nourishing yin and blood， and strengthening the essence and nourishing the kidney. Various parts of the lotus plant， such as lotus roots， lotus stems， lotus leaf pedicle， lotus leaves， lotus flowers， lotus stamen， lotus seed pots， green cores， etc.， can also be used as medicines to make nourishing or curative foods. Modern studies have shown that Guangchang white lotus is rich in ingredients with medicinal value such as oxoushinsunine. Economic value
Increasing farmers’ income
In 129 administrative villages in Guangchang County， the planting of white lotus has basically been fully covered， especially the planting of the ‘Space lotus’ variety， which has greatly improved the yield and quality of white lotus. Planting white lotus has become an important way for farmers in China to get rich.
Improving enterprise efficiency
In December 2017， led by Zhichun Food Co.， Ltd.， a leading enterprise in the industrialization of agriculture at the provincial level， the Guangchang White Lotus Industrialization Consortium was established on the basis of merging two family farms， six white lotus farmers’ cooperatives， seven lotus product deep processing companies， three lotus product waste utilization companies， two lotus product processing machinery companies， two lotus cultural and creative product production and sales companies， and two lotus culture and leisure tourism companies. The consortium is an industrial alliance with Guangchang white lotus product production， processing， sales， and cultural tourism development as its business operations. Since its establishment， the consortium has formed a complete and continuously extending green white lotus industry chain， effectively integrating resources from all parties， giving full play to the advantages of members， and fully exploring and using white lotus resources， which greatly increases the added value of the white lotus industry. It not only increases the efficiency of enterprises， but also drives the increase of farmers’ income. Through the construction of bases and contract farming， the consortium has driven lotus farmers （planting） on the road to increase income and get rich. The average income of lotus farmers increased by 4 100 yuan. The members of the consortium also arranged 146 farmers to work in factories， with an average annual income increase of 30 000 yuan per capita. In 2018， the consortium led 6 521 lotus farmers to increase their income by 2 000 yuan per capita. The consortium also signed contracts with 4 500 non-member farmers， generating income of 60.09 million yuan for them. The consortium forms helping pairs with poor villages， giving poor households a living allowance of 300 yuan/month， driving 280 poor households， and generating 5.12 million yuan in income for them[15].
Developing county economy
The total annual output value of the white lotus industry in Guangchang County has exceeded 700 million yuan. The white lotus industry has become a pillar industry of Guangchang county economy. Social value
Increasing employment
According to statistics[7]， there are currently more than 20 000 professional farmers engaged in white lotus planting in Guangchang County， more than 6 000 white lotus circulation and management talents， more than 5 200 white lotus deep processing industry talents， and more than 500 lotus tourism service talents. Guangchang white lotus industry has played an important role in cultivating talents and increasing employment.
Getting rid of poverty
Aiming at some poor farmers and poor people， Guangchang County implements precise industrial assistance policies relying on the development of the millennium white lotus industry， increasing the average annual income of the poor households by more than 3 000 yuan. The poor households effectively got rid of poverty in a relatively short period of time. The county’s strategic goal of poverty alleviation has been realized[16].
Promoting harmony
Guangchang County takes the white lotus industry as the leader and traction， develops organic white lotus and selenium-rich white lotus， develops "Lianxiang people" characteristic homestay， and selects and commends "the most beautiful lotus people". The social atmosphere has been greatly improved， and families with honesty， piety， and collective love can be seen everywhere.
Ecological value
The ecological value of the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi can be briefly summarized as optimizing the above-ground environment （optimizing and beautifying the microclimate environment of the above-ground farmland） and purifying the underground environment （purifying the water body and soil environment）". ① Carbon absorption and oxygen release： Lotus leave are huge and has high photosynthesis efficiency. They can absorb and utilize a large amount of CO2 in the air and produce O which has a positive effect on regulating the ecological environment of farmland and alleviating climate warming. ② Temperature regulation： In the high-temperature summer season， Guangchang white lotus leaves effectively reduce the environmental temperature through transpiration， thereby regulating the microclimate of the farmland and the surrounding environment. ③ Water quality purification： Guangchang white lotus has the ability to absorb， transfer and transform the nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients and related toxic and harmful substances （including soil heavy metals） in farmland water and soil， thereby purifying soil and water bodies and maintaining excellent water quality in farmland. ④ Soil fertilization： In the traditional lotus culture system of Guangchang in Jiangxi， the farmland not only grows Guangchang white lotus， but also raises fish， ducks， and loach， and the litter of the white lotus and the excrement of fish， ducks， and loach are discharged into the farmland， which plays an important role in improving soil fertility. ⑤ Fertilizer saving and drugs reducing， green development： In the white lotus farmland farming system， various "wastes" are the best organic fertilizer， which can greatly reduce the amount of chemical fertilizer; and in the lotus field ecosystem， various organisms （white lotus， fish， duck， loach， etc.） symbiotically complement each other and coordinate with each other， which can achieve the effects of green prevention and control and ecological disaster reduction， so that no agrochemicals are less used or not used， and farmland diseases， insects， and weeds can be effectively controlled， truly achieving green development. Cultural value
In the traditional lotus culture system of Guangchang， Jiangxi， the lotus culture has a long history， broad and profound， rich in connotation， and has the characteristics of positiveness， goodness and beauty. First of all， lotus culture is a "beauty culture". Lotus is one of the "Top Ten Famous Flowers in China". "The lotus leaves are infinitely green like the sky， and the lotus is especially red in the sun" is a true portrayal of the beauty of lotus. Secondly， lotus culture is a "harmony culture". Lotus and harmony are homophonic in Chinese， and it symbolizes people’s pursuit of world peace， social harmony， family harmony， and personal harmony， to ultimately achieve the harmonious development of man and nature. Third， the lotus culture is a "clean culture". Lotus and "Lian" are homophonic in Chinese， and lotus is a "gentle lotus" in that "the leaves are out of silt without staining， and washed in clear water without evil spirt". The lotus culture warns people to be noble， upright， and clean. The rich connotation of the lotus culture in Guangchang County is fully manifested and confirmed in the lotus pattern of the building complex in Yiqian Town， Guangchang Lotus Ancient Town[17].
Tourist value
In the traditional lotus culture system of Guangchang， Jiangxi， due to the "beauty" and great ornamental value of lotus， there are endless tourists visiting and sightseeing in Guangchang County every year. We took Yiqian Town， Guangchang County， the birthplace of Guangchang lotus culture， as an example in this study. The tourism industry in Yiqian Town has developed rapidly in recent years. The reasons are as follows： ① Large area of space lotus planting： Yaoxi Village， Yiqian Town， Guangchang County has the country’s largest space lotus planting base. The 866.67 hm2 "lotus field belt" is open every summer and is a tourist destination not to be missed. ② Prosperous lotus culture： As the birthplace of the Guangchang lotus culture， Yiqian Town， every summer when the lotus seeds are mature， people sit in groups in a circle to peel out the lotus seeds and push the green cores out， and the atmosphere is warm. On June 24 of the lunar calendar， the Lotus Prince Temple Fair will be held in Chishui Town， not far from Yiqian Town. The people of Yiqian Town will also actively participate to reward the lotus god， Qi Fuzhi， and celebrate the harvest. Every year， big and small festivals or all kinds of celebrations and celebrations， people like to treat the guests with a bowl of lotus seed soup. ③ Thousand-year ancient town civilization： Yiqian Town is an ancient town with a thousand years of age. It was awarded the first batch of historical and cultural towns by the People’s Government of Jiangxi Province in July 2003， and was named "National Historical and Cultural Town （Village）" in 2014. The ancient buildings in Yiqian Town are majestic， densely distributed in the center of the country fair， extending to the shore of Meixi in Fuyuan. They are one of the relatively well-preserved and large-scale ancient residential building complexes in Jiangxi Province. Stone carvings， wood carvings， and brick carvings in them can be regarded as masterpieces of ancient Jiangnan culture. Auspicious objects such as lotus， lotus leaves， seedpods and other auspicious objects can be seen everywhere， forming an erudite lotus culture. In 2006， Yiqian Town received a total of 16 000 tourists. By 2014， Yiqian Ancient Town received 91 200 tourists annually[18]. In 2018， the Implementation Opinions of the CPC Guangchang County Party Committee and Guangchang County People’s Government on Promoting the Development and Upgrading of Tourism Industry （Guangfa [2018] No.7） was released， clearly proposing to create a tourism brand of "Lianxiang in China·Zuimei Guangchang". Its main task is to build Guangchang County into a "national city of lotus culture" and promote the "Hometown of White Lotus in China"， "Hometown of Chinese Lotus Culture" and other brands. It indicates that the tourism value of the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi will be further revealed.
Popular science value
In May 2008， the CPC Guangchang County Party Committee and County Government began to build the White Lotus Science and Technology Exposition Park， which was completed and put into use in the early summer of 2009[19]. The completion of Guangchang White Lotus Science and Technology Exposition Park has fully demonstrated the historical origin and unique charm of the county’s white lotus culture and has become a national first-class professional white lotus exposition park. After the completion of the Exposition Park， it has attracted students from all over the county， Jiangxi Province， and the whole country， as well as master students and doctoral students in related majors to visit and study， which has played a good role in scientific publicity and popular science education. It can be said that the Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi has become a veritable white lotus popular science base.
Scientific research value
As an important agricultural cultural heritage in China， the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi is of great value and plays an active role in promoting scientific research and promoting scientific and technological progress. Its scientific research value is embodied in three aspects. First of all， as a scientific research object， scientific research material， scientific research base or "natural laboratory"， the traditional lotus culture system of Guangchang Jiangxi has many scientific "secrets" or ancestors "wisdom" worth exploring and discovering. First of all， as a scientific research object， scientific research material， scientific research base or "natural laboratory"， the Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi has many scientific "secrets" or ancestors "wisdom" worth exploring and discovering. Secondly， one of the important reasons why Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Culture System has been selected as an important agricultural cultural heritage in China is its remarkable achievements and positive progress in scientific research on white lotus， especially in the white lotus space breeding， production and processing technology innovation and other aspects where it has played a leading role. Third， in order to meet the requirements of the development of the new era， the Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi still has many scientific research topics to be studied， for example， the fundamental reason and internal mechanism of Guangchang in Jiangxi as the "Hometown of White Lotus in China"， the traditional lotus in Guangchang， Jiangxi， the mechanism of the interaction and coordination of various elements in the cultural system of the culture， and the structure， function and regulation methods of the Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi. Educational value
Guangchang traditional lotus culture system in Jiangxi also has important educational value. It takes "white" （clean white） and "lotus" （clean） as its distinctive features. "The leaves are out the silt without staining" educates people to "be clean and honest as an official"， and be a "honest， noble， upright， and incorruptible person"， a "gentleman". In fact， the educational value of the traditional lotus culture system in Guangchang， Jiangxi is far more than that. "She" is actually a "living" textbook and reference book full of educational significance. It is worthy of silent reading and recitation every day. It must be instructive.
Conclusions
Agricultural cultural heritage is an important part of Chinese cultural heritage. It has the characteristics of a long history， many types， and great value[20]. It contains the great wisdom of ancestors’ survival， production， life， and reproduction[21]. Cherishing and continuously exploring， researching， protecting and inheriting agricultural cultural heritage has important theoretical and practical significance for the currently implemented rural revitalization strategy， poverty alleviation， building of a well-off society in an all-round way， and high-quality economic and social development[22-23].
Since the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs released the first batch of China’s important agricultural cultural heritage list （19） in 2013， five batches of 118 projects have been released so far， distributed in 28 provinces， autonomous regions， and municipalities[24]. Jiangxi Province is an important agricultural province in southern China， with a large number of agricultural cultural heritage， wide distribution， and unique value[3]. "Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Planting Cultural System" is not only one of the fourth batch of China’s important agricultural cultural heritage （29） released in 2017， but also one of the six existing Chinese important agricultural cultural heritages in Jiangxi （Jiangxi Wannian Rice Cultivation System， Jiangxi Chongyi Hakka Terraced Field System， Jiangxi Nanfeng Tangerine Cultivation System， Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Cultivation System， Jiangxi Taihe Black-bone Chicken Forest Ecological Farming System， Jiangxi Hengfeng Pueraria lobata Cultivation System）， worthy of in-depth exploration and research.
At present， the Traditional Lotus Culture System in Guangchang， Jiangxi still has many outstanding problems such as area reduction， yield decline， variety reduction， quality degradation， soil pollution， increased pests and diseases， and reduction of sustainable development capabilities[25-26]. Effective countermeasures and measures are urgently needed， such as strengthening publicity and raising awareness， expanding the area of lotus cultivation and strengthening production management， improving the ecological environment and protecting biodiversity， consolidating the foundation and increasing investment， etc. From the perspective of the development situation at home and abroad， the protection， inheritance and development of agricultural cultural heritage has become one of the research hotspots and focuses of many scientific and technological workers in the fields of agriculture， agricultural history， ecology， geography， and environmental science[27]. Protecting agricultural cultural heritage and ensuring the sustainable development of agricultural cultural heritage has become one of the important contents and main paths to promote the green development and high-quality development of agriculture in the new era[28]. Further strengthening the excavation， research and protection of various agricultural cultural heritages such as the " Jiangxi Guangchang Traditional Lotus Culture System" will be conducive to the inheritance and sustainable development of agricultural cultural heritage in Jiangxi and the whole country.
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