Ripe peppers are ready for the villagers to harvest at Congjiang town on Sept 2. The county has been promoting the cultivation of pop peppers in recent years. Approximately 3.67 million square meters of Congjiang’s land is now used for growing pop pepper, helping to increase local residents’ incomes by 27 million yuan ($4 million). [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

A villager of the Dong ethnic minority harvests peppers at the pop pepper planting base in Miaopeng village of Congjiang county, Guizhou province on Sept 2. The county has been promoting the cultivation of pop peppers in recent years. Approximately 3.67 million square meters of Congjiang’s land is now used for growing pop pepper, helping to increase local residents’ incomes by 27 million yuan ($4 million). [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

A Dong villager dries the peppers in the sun at Miaopeng village on Sept 2. The county has been promoting the cultivation of pop peppers in recent years. Approximately 3.67 million square meters of Congjiang’s land is now used for growing pop pepper, helping to increase local residents’ incomes by 27 million yuan ($4 million). [Photo/xinhuanet.com]