FRAGRANT FORTUNE

Huocheng， a county in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region， northwest China， enjoys a special distinction. It lies on the same latitude as Provence in France， with similar climate and soil. The county began planting lavender brought from Provence in 1965 and boasts the largest lavender production base in China and the third largest in the world， following Provence and Furano in Japan.

With nearly 4，000 hectares of farms， the county has a lucrative business with a diverse range of lavender products including essential oils， dried flowers and aromatherapy products. Huocheng also promotes lavender-related tourism. Its lavender industry registered an output value of about 1.5 billion yuan （$212 million） in 2019， creating more than 15，000 jobs.