The scene in the movie "Ne Zha: The Demonic Children Roar in the Sea" where Taiyi Zhenren uses lotus root starch to reshape Ne Zha's physical body is highly talked about. But why did Nezha have to use lotus roots to reshape it? In the eyes of ancient people, 'lotus root with broken threads' was like the blood vessels of the human body. When stretched, it was as flexible as a spring, but when broken, it was connected in threads, making it the perfect choice for reshaping the body. Lotus, from ancient times to the present day in China, has always been a symbol of purity and purity. Its character of "emerging from mud without staining, washing clear ripples without demon" is a perfect match for Nezha's pure and rebellious spirit! Lotus is a native "old treasure" in China, with a planting history of over 3000 years. As a "province of thousands of lakes and a land of fish and rice", Hubei is particularly rich in lotus roots. According to statistics, 80% of the world's lotus roots are produced in China. Among them, the lotus root production in Hubei accounts for one-third of the country's total, and the planting coverage of the E Lian series lotus root varieties in China exceeds 85%. Only in Honghu, Hubei, the annual planting area of lotus root exceeds 220000 mu, with an annual output of nearly 300000 tons. Considering that Xiao Nezha weighs 40 pounds, based on 39 pounds of "reverse bone" and 1 pound of lotus root, Honghu can produce 600 million "Nezhas" annually. A millennium old water town, the "dreamlike hometown" of lotus roots, with clear waters stretching across the sky and lotus fragrance spreading throughout the nine provinces. Honghu Lake is located in the central southern part of Hubei Province, on the north bank of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, at the southeastern end of the Jianghan Plain, and historically belonged to the Yangtze River floodplain in the eastern part of Yunmeng Lake. The terrain here is low-lying, and in the process of repeated geological evolution, a large number of aquatic animals and plants have deposited, producing a rich humus layer rich in organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. For nearly a thousand years, the precipitation of aquatic plants has nurtured fertile blue mud soil, which can be called the "dream hometown" of lotus roots. As a unique variety of lotus root in Hubei, Honghu lotus root has a planting history of more than 2300 years and has been known since ancient times as "the fish of the Yangtze River, the lotus root of Honghu Lake, and the love of talented people and beautiful women who don't want to leave after eating it". Honghu is a natural lotus root production area with flat ground, mud, soil fertilizer, and sufficient water Professor Liu Yiman, a renowned lotus root expert in China, commented as follows. According to the "Honghu County Annals", the Qinggang mud soil in Honghu is the most fertile land in the Honghu area. The lotus roots grown from the Qinggang mud soil are particularly unique, with long and plump shapes. Under favorable conditions, Honghu lotus root has a higher starch content than ordinary lotus roots, with a smoother and sweeter taste. When fresh lotus roots are gently bent, they become silver like threads. Striving for billions, the "small lotus root" has leveraged the "big industry". In the Compendium of Materia Medica, Li Shizhen said, "Fu lotus root is born in humble soil, but it is pure and white. It can be eaten at all times, making people happy and can be said to have spiritual roots." Thanks to its unique natural conditions, the lotus root and related products in Honghu City have a perennial planting area of 220000 acres (including 120000 acres of lotus root, 60000 acres of lotus root with lotus root, and 40000 acres of lotus seed), and nearly 300000 tons of lotus root "break through the soil" from Honghu every year. In the past, although Honghu lotus root was good, it was also trapped in the predicament of being a "basket seller". Due to its centralized listing and difficulty in preservation, Honghu lotus root had a short sales time, limited sales scope, low and unstable prices before. In recent years, Honghu City has cultivated leading enterprises, promoted the breeding of high-quality lotus roots, standardized planting, and large-scale production, carried out deep processing, and vigorously promoted agricultural product e-commerce, helping to continuously improve the Honghu lotus root industry chain. Honghu lotus root has quickly completed the value reshaping of the entire industry chain and achieved transformation and upgrading. By introducing 8 new varieties of E-lotus series and cooperating with Wuhan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, we have deeply explored the excellent characteristics of Honghu lotus root, and mainly promoted the core quality of Honghu lotus root, which is "pink, sticky, sweet and fragrant". Different categories of Honghu lotus root can ensure the supply of fresh lotus root throughout the country; The introduction of mechanized and large-scale equipment has significantly improved harvesting efficiency; Riding on the fast train of "e-commerce", Honghu lotus root has shifted from "selling goods by truck" to "live streaming sales". In Honghu, the value of lotus root is fully explored and utilized. Honghu wild lotus juice, made from wild red lotus as raw material and finely ground through multiple processes, has a mellow taste and emits a natural sweetness; The Honghu wild lotus root juice directly pressed from fresh lotus roots retains its original flavor, nutrition, and fragrance; Lotus leaf tea made from active ingredients extracted from lotus leaves is refreshing and popular among health enthusiasts; The lotus leaf coffee, which is a wonderful collision of the fragrance of lotus leaves and the strong aroma of coffee, brings a new taste experience to coffee enthusiasts. Relying on abundant resources, Honghu has nurtured 56 categories including soaked lotus root strips, lotus root soup, and wild lotus root juice, and created four national geographical indication products, namely "Honghu lotus seeds, Honghu lotus root strips, Honghu lotus roots, and Honghu lotus leaf tea," which are unique in the country. As of now, Honghu City has 135 production and operation entities of lotus root series, with an annual processing capacity of 200000 tons of lotus root series products and a processing output value of 3 billion yuan. Nowadays, the brand image of "Honghu lotus root, sweet and delicious" has become a "regional business card" on the local tongue. Honghu City's lotus root planting area, output, processing industry output value, and market share of four individual products have remained the top in counties and cities in China. It is expected that the comprehensive output value of Honghu lotus root industry will reach 15 billion yuan by 2025. In August last year, the Agricultural Office of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee issued the "Seven Measures for Lotus", making "Honghu Lotus Root" the only regional public brand of lotus root in the province, and creating new major opportunities for the development of Honghu Lotus Root industry. Our goal is to be China's number one and world-renowned Zhang Xianzhong, the head of Honghu Lotus Root Development Center, stated that Honghu City is making efforts in various aspects such as variety, base, and brand. The government allocates 10 million yuan annually to support the development of Honghu Lotus Root industry, covering the construction of variety, brand, and standard base. At the same time, it will further increase support for related enterprises, continue to tap into the economic vitality of lotus root, and enrich the lotus root derivative industry chain. With the popularity of "Ne Zha: The Demonic Child Roars in the Sea", the sales of Honghu lotus root and its derivative products have been soaring recently. According to the Honghu Lotus Root Development Center, from the first day of the first lunar month to present, the sales amount of Honghu Lotus Root related products has reached nearly 400 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 46%. A sip of lotus root fragrance unlocks the four season limited edition on your tongue. "Spring lotus root with summer lotus, autumn and winter lotus root simmering until Chinese New Year." On the dining tables of Honghu people, you will find the traces of lotus root everywhere. In late spring and early summer, a plate of sour and spicy lotus root strips is a fresh and bright color on the dining table. The slender and tender lotus root strip, accompanied by seasonings such as pickled peppers, white vinegar, and minced garlic, makes a "crunchy" sound when bitten, as if eating the vitality of the entire spring season, refreshing and appetizing. In the scorching summer, a bowl of smooth and delicate lotus root starch is the most comfortable. Take a light spoonful and it melts in your mouth. The lotus root fragrance spreads out in your mouth, delicate and smooth, sweet but not greasy. It can not only relieve heat and thirst, but also satisfy your stomach, making it an indispensable sweet comfort in summer. In the autumn and winter seasons, lotus roots are widely available on the market, and lotus root pork rib soup, a classic Hubei dish, has become the protagonist on local dining tables. The soup is rich and milky white, lotus root powder is glutinous and sweet, and the pork ribs are tender and juicy. Drinking a sip of soup warms up and nourishes the body. This is not over yet. The crisp and refreshing lotus pond treasures, the fragrant lotus root braised duck, and the crispy and soft kang steamed lotus root... Honghu people who love to eat lotus root integrate lotus root into their three meals a day in various forms. Each dish is not only a pleasure for the taste buds, but also carries the deep attachment of Honghu people to their hometown. From the poetic painting of 'Endless Blue Lotus Leaves Embracing the Sky' to the happy scene of 'Thousands of Lotus Roots and Farmers Smiling', this lotus root, which has traveled for thousands of years and fragrance, has become a shining regional business card, telling the vivid story of rural revitalization in China. (New Society)