亦农亦商

岭南的农业，历史上，一直与北方有着鲜明的差异。这让岭南的春天，除了拥有蓬勃的自然生长力，更处处流动着商业促生的人为创造力。

In the history of agricultural production, the Lingnan area has long been endowed with distinct characteristics different from those in northern China. That's how the land of Lingnan has managed to maintain such a high level of natural vigour and unprecedented creativity.

The Lingnan area has long seen abundance in agricultural resources. As early as the Song Dynasty, staple food production achieved self-suff i ciency. When simplif i ed, subsistence agriculture dominated central plain areas, whereas the Lingnan area built the foundation for its latter diversif i ed agricultural development.

Adjacent to the Pacif i c Ocean, the region established robust commercial ties with Southeast Asia in early times. The growing of introduced, tropical and sub-tropical species, gradually developed into a competitive edge in production of commercial crops. These products, such as exotic fruits and sugar, were presented as a tribute to the Emperor and met excess demands in northern markets, which in turn promoted the development of the garden industry. Many peasants became specialised fruit-growers.

The idea of pursuing economic advantage spread across the Lingnan area. Industrial conversion, from agriculture to commerce, fl ourished in Guangdong Province, most signif i cantly in cities like Guangzhou and Chaozhou. Over 100,000 households lived by non-agricultural means, as of the Qing Dynasty, in Chaozhou city alone. During the Ming Dynasty, agricultural commercialisation was considered mainstream in the Pearl River Delta area. Likewise, based on the use of agricultural materials, handicraft production such as textile and embroidery also gained considerable development.

The Lingnan people further pushed the idea of agricultural commercialisation forward to the innovation of production methods. In the Ming Dynasty, local people creatively combined their experience in fi sh keeping and tree growing, to grow fruit trees, mulberry trees, or sugar-canes around fi sh ponds, creating an ecological agriculture mode that not only prevented fl ooding and improved landuse eff i ciency, but also promoted production of commercial crops and fi sheries at the same time. It was such forward-looking creativity that enabled the Pearl Delta area to come fi rst in the era of agricultural commercialisation.

岭南具备丰富的农业资源，宋代时，粮食生产可以自给自足，还有余粮输出。在中原的社会经济一直以自给自足、单一化生产的农业经济为主时，岭南已经发展出明显的多样化发展基础。

它很早与东南亚各地保持着商贸往来，并引进热带、亚热带作物栽种，显露出果类作物和经济作物的优势。南方珍奇的水果、蔗糖成为上贡的物品和北方争购的物资，更刺激了园圃业的生产，更多农民转向专业性的农户。

“崇利”的意识由此渗透到岭南各地，转农为商的活动十分普遍。明代时， 珠江三角洲成为商品性农业区，农业生产已带有较强的商品性目的。同样，以农产品为原料的手工业生产，例如纺织、刺绣等也由此发展到相当高的水平。

岭南人对农产品商业化的意识，也体现在对生产方式的创新上。明代时，当地人民利用长期的土地开发经验，开始一边挖塘养鱼，一边在周围种果树、桑树、甘蔗，既解决了水患，提高了土地利用率，又发展了经济作物和渔业生产。这种超强的创造力，使得珠江三角洲最早进入商品化农业生产。

AGRlCULTURAL PRODUCTlON FOR COMMERClALlSATlON

Text by Lan Xiaojiang Translations by Zheng Ying&Yishan Photos by CFP

HONEY OF THE LYCHEE FLOWER FROM CONGHUA从化荔枝蜜

SPRlNG BAMBOO SHOOTS FROM JlEYANG揭阳春笋

SlLK FROM FOSHAN佛山桑蚕

MUl-CHOY FROM MElZHOU梅州梅菜

DANCONG TEA FROM CHAOZHOU潮州单枞