Customs officers of Guangzhou's Huadu district carry out on-site inspection on bonsai that will be exported. [Photo/dayoo.com]

In 2021, the export value of bonsai in Guangzhou's Huadu district reached 10.23 million yuan ($1,62 million), with a year-on-year growth of 23.8 percent.

Guangzhou customs investigated the needs of enterprises under its jurisdiction, boosted the export of Lingnan bonsai to foreign countries, as well as introduced convenience measures, such as the "inspection before declaration" service, to accelerate the inspection and release process of bonsai to be exported.

Due to increasing overseas orders, the annual output value of bonsai from Ruiling village in Guangzhou exceeded 300 million yuan, with its bonsai primarily exported to Southeast Asia, the European Union, as well as other countries and regions.

"The customs gives priority to the inspection of samples and reduces the inspection time, enabling bonsai to be shipped and exported in the shortest amount of time, while ensuring their quality," said Deng Qianghua, the head of one horticulture farm in Huadu district.

In recent years, Lingnan bonsai has been included on Guangdong's intangible cultural heritage item list.