Loulan Jujube Ecological Garden

Loulan Jujube Ecological Garden

Ruoqiang has launched a comprehensive jujube industry project to boost local prosperity, leveraging its regional advantages and abundant water, soil, light, and heat resources. Currently, there are seventeen varieties of jujubes, mainly including gray jujubes, chicken-heart jujubes, winter jujubes, snow jujubes, teapot jujubes, and seedless jujubes. The county has planted jujubes across 70,000 mu (approximately 4,667 hectares) with over 7.5 million trees. It is expected that 30,000 mu of jujube trees will enter the fruit-bearing stage this year, with 8,000 mu reaching full production, yielding a total jujube output of 1,000–1,500 tons. By 2005, the county’s jujube planting area had reached 80,000 mu.

The jujube industry in our county has now achieved a certain scale and recognition (in August 2003, the Ruoqiang Jujube Ecological Economic Forest Construction Project was named by the Autonomous Region Science and Technology for Development Office as the seventh science and technology flagship project in Xinjiang, and the only one in Bayingolin Prefecture). This has laid a solid foundation for attracting tourists and holds great potential. In the near future, tens of thousands of acres of high-quality Loulan jujubes are set to rank among the best in the nation. Imagine standing amidst the vast expanse of the jujube ecological garden, tasting the jujubes offered by the elders of the "Daughter Kingdom" by the "Mother and Son River," descendants of the Loulan people — what a profound experience that would be. To this end, we aim to enhance the overall development of tourism projects in the jujube ecological park, vigorously promote the "Loulan Jujube" and "Kangli Fruit" brands, boost deep processing, continually enrich the essence of “Loulan Jujube,” and create a unique green, all-natural jujube product sightseeing and tourism route.

There is also a beautiful legend about Loulan jujubes: It is said that there was once a young man who was lazy and gluttonous. Having passed marriageable age, he still had no wife, as no maiden was willing to spend her life with such a good-for-nothing. One day, on a whim, he decided to venture out in search of a wife. Not long after arriving at Washi Gorge, he lost his way. For three days, he wandered through endless desert, thirsty and hungry, as if death were beckoning. On the fourth day, he changed direction and walked only half a day before coming upon a jujube tree. He ate an unripe jujube, then fell asleep beneath the tree. In a dream, the jujube tree asked him: "Ahead is a man whose parents have both died, and he cannot afford to bury them. What will you do?" After surviving this great ordeal, countless virtues awakened within him. He awoke and rushed forward, where he found a slightly shorter young man weeping bitterly — his parents had died suddenly of illness, leaving him in despair. The young man shook off his laziness, mustered his strength, and helped the man bury his parents. To his surprise, when the young man removed his cap, he turned out to be a woman. Seeing what a kind person he was, she insisted on marrying him. He then went back to sleep under the jujube tree and received enlightenment: "This place has beautiful mountains and clear waters — it is a wonderful land. You decide for yourself." So, he and the woman married, worked the land diligently, and created an oasis — the incredibly beautiful Ruoqiang. Since then, jujubes have been planted all over the Ruoqiang oasis. The fresh ones are especially fragrant, while the ripe ones are exceptionally rich and sweet. Eating Ruoqiang jujubes not only provides nutrition but also offers life-enriching wisdom.