Pingxi Blue Dye Workshop Introduction
In the early days when the ancestors arrived in Pingxi, they were unaware that there was a wealth of black gold beneath their feet. Their daily life relied on cultivating rice and sweet potatoes for food, while the source of money came from growing indigo plants, which were processed into blue dye and sold to the mainland. The indigo plant, known as "daqing," belongs to the family of Rubiaceae and is a perennial plant. It is commonly referred to as "shanlan" due to its extensive cultivation in mountainous areas, and because it is primarily used as a dye for blue fabric, it is also called "daiqing." It flowers from November to February of the following year, with purple flowers that thrive in a warm and humid environment, which is perfectly suited for growing indigo plants in Pingxi.
