Villagers have been harvesting daylilies in China’s northern Shanxi Province since late June. For the best quality, the flowers need to be picked before they open in the sun, so harvesting starts at night.

The best harvest time is from 2:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Flowers that open in sunshine are left in the field because they are hard to preserve and process. The workers, like those in Datong city, sleep in the day and work at night during the harvest season from late June to mid-August.

More than 100 square kilometers of daylilies were grown in the area. The flowers are edible and used in Chinese cuisine. They are sold either fresh or dried in the markets. Last year, the villagers earned 500 million yuan, or 3,600 yuan per person, from daylilies.