Whenever she introduces her company on important occasions, Hu Guangfen prefers to narrate the story of her personal and entrepreneurial journey through a dance performance. On stage, her voice blends seamlessly with the movements of the dancers, recounting her path from working as a migrant laborer to founding her own business.

The 56-year-old entrepreneur is the founder of Guizhou Guisanhong Food Co. Ltd., now the largest fermented pickled chili processor in Guizhou Province in southwest China. On July 15,

during the opening of Guizhou's "China's Development: An Opportunity for a Colorful World" International Exchange Week, she once again introduced herself through this narrative dance.

She recalled that in 1990, she left her home in Guizhou to work in a shoe factory in faraway Guangdong Province. No matter how difficult things were during that time, tasting the chili oil her mother sent her from home always lifted her mood. In 1998, she decided to return to her hometown and establish a chili processing business. What motivated her to return home and start her business was the abundance of local chilies. At the time, most chili farmers sold fresh chilies, but she recognized the vast market potential for processed chili products.

Today, the chili industry has become a pillar of Guizhou's economy. Her business, that began in a simple, idle two-story building, has now grown into a local star enterprise employing hundreds of people.

Red industry

There has never been a clear consensus on which Chinese province has the hottest cuisine. While many argue in favor of Sichuan, Hunan or Jiangxi, Guizhou is also a strong contender in this fiery rivalry.

"Guizhou's location on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau—with its mountainous terrain, humid climate and karst topography—provides loose, well-drained soil highly suitable for chili cultivation," Fu Lu, President of the Guizhou Chili Industry Association, said at the 10th Guizhou Chili Expo on August 18. "The unique combination of latitude, altitude, temperature and humidity gives Guizhou chilies their distinct flavor."

He explained that chilies from different regions exhibit unique characteristics: Those grown in high-altitude mountainous areas tend to be hotter, while those from lowland river valleys are often sweeter and more aromatic.

In 2024, Guizhou cultivated approximately 336,000 hectares of chilies, producing 7.29 million tons with an output value of 28.8 billion yuan ($4 billion). Both production scale and economic output continue to rank among the highest in China.

This rich variety of chilies has inspired many local entrepreneurs to get into this business. Around the same time Hu started her business, another local female entrepreneur in Guizhou, Tao Huabi, also launched a venture—one that began almost by accident. In 1989, she opened a simple street stall in Guiyang, capital city of Guizhou, selling cold noodles. But she soon found that the homemade chili sauce she offered as a condiment had become overwhelmingly popular among her customers.

Recognizing the opportunity, Tao shifted her focus entirely to chili sauce production and established a dedicated factory in 1996. Today, her company, Laoganma Special Flavor Foodstuffs, has become one of China's most valuable brands. Its products are sold worldwide and have grown into an iconic symbol of Chinese culinary culture.

In 2016, the first Guizhou Chili Expo was held in Zunyi. At the time, few could have predicted the scale it would eventually reach. Now in its 10th year, the expo has become one of the most influential exchange platforms for the chili industry in China. Figures from the Guizhou Chili Industry Association show that the annual transaction volume at the event exceeds 500,000 tons, with a transaction value of over 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), helping more than 2 million chili farmers increase their income and achieve prosperity.

Comfort food, comfortable life

The chili industry has also created abundant employment opportunities for local residents and farmers. Yan Xun from Hezhang County in Guizhou previously worked in multiple industries, including transportation and mineral processing, but had no background in agriculture. This year, however, after learning about the chili industry, he decided to enter the field. He soon established a company and began growing over 133 hectares of chilies.

The confidence of Yan, daring to cultivate on such a large scale in his first year, stems from the region's exceptional natural conditions—favorable climate, soil and altitude. At the same time, he partnered with a local agricultural technology company that provides comprehensive technical support and a guaranteed purchase agreement. This ensures end-to-end support from seedling cultivation, planting and harvesting to sales. Through contract farming, stable sales channels are secured, eliminating growers' concerns.

The growth of the chili industry has tangibly increased incomes and created jobs for local farmers. At the chili base in Malu Village of Hezhang County, more than 20 hectares of chilies yielded a bumper harvest this year. Yuan Tao, the person in charge of the base, told Guizhou Daily newspaper that the total output of the base reached over 450 tons this year, generating an annual output value of more than 1.4 million yuan ($200,000).

"This has provided employment for over 50 people in the surrounding area. The chilies sold quickly after harvest—we've already sold over 20 tons. There's truly no worry about sales," Yuan said, adding that the base now has broad sales partnerships across regions including Hunan, Guangdong and Yunnan.

Fu Mingyan, a local worker who picks chilies at the base, said, "Picking chilies here, I can earn about 120 yuan ($17) per day. Payment is made on the spot after weighing—there's never any delay. Working close to home allows me to earn money while taking care of my family and supplementing our household income."

In Hu's eyes, enabling more local women to work near home is one of the greatest benefits that her company has brought. She recalled that once a child handed her a steamed bun and thanked her because the chili factory allowed his mother to work locally. "Now I can see my mom every day," the child said.

Hu and her team have developed dozens of chili products catering to regional preferences across different areas over the past two decades. Today, their chili products are also sold overseas.

"Chilies are not just a crop—they are a bridge connecting different regions, cultures and people," said Gianluca Luisi, Secretary General of the World Chili Alliance (WCA), at the 10th Guizhou Chili Expo.

He expressed that the WCA looks forward to enhancing cooperation with Guizhou to help local chilies reach broader international markets, and to establish deeper collaboration in knowledge exchange and technology sharing. "Telling the story of Guizhou chilies can foster a closer collaborative network within the global chili industry, promoting shared development," he added.

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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