Tibetan farmers find fortune with fruit

CHENGDU — In mid-March, residents of Gudiao village, deep in the mountains of the Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Garze in Sichuan province, were busy pumping water from the river below to water a batch of saplings they had just planted.

Malus toringoides is the species name of the trees. They bear red fruits and thrive at an altitude of about 3,000 meters. Villagers refer to them as genque trees.

The tender shoots of the tree can be used for tea, and their leaves for medicinal purposes. The red fruit can also be processed into beverages and jams.