Hunyuan’s Camel Frontier is a key production area for highland grains in northern China. Its oats boast large, thin-skinned grains that yield a fine, snow-white flour with a delicious, rich aroma. Locals often say that “men gain strength and women gain beauty” from eating Camel Frontier oats. (Datong)…
The production of bamboo steamer baskets in Jingzhuang Township, Hunyuan County, has a history of nearly a hundred years. The products are sold as far as Shanxi, Henan, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Tianjin, and the northeastern regions. The series of layered steamers produced in the township feature an attractive appearance, are sturdy and durable, prevent food from sticking during steaming, and preserve both color and flavor—making them ideal household utensils. (Datong)…
Wangqian Village incense has a long and storied history. The "Hunyuan Prefecture Annals" compiled during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty by then-Hunyuan prefect Gui Jingshun contains detailed records of the incense produced in Wangqian Village. It has a history of over a thousand years. The village produces four main series of incense—medicinal incense, regular incense, hygiene incense, and tower incense—with over forty varieties. These incense products…
The three treasures of Mount Heng, the Northern Sacred Mountain, are astragalus root, fava beans, and ganoderma lucidum. Hengshan fava beans are mainly produced in the southeastern mountainous areas of Hunyuan, rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and niacin—making them a highly nutritious green food. Hengshan Lotus Beans are made from these premium Hengshan fava beans, combined with refined vegetable oil and a variety of seasonings...
Apricot trees are a traditional economic crop in Hunyuan County, widely distributed and with a long history of cultivation. In recent years, guided by the principle of "breaking traditional structures to adjust the industry and optimizing the structure to increase benefits," the county has moved beyond the single focus on meat apricots and expanded the planting area of kernel apricots. The county now has 110,000 mu of kernel apricot orchards. According to...
Hunyuan Huangqi, also known as Zhengbei Huangqi, is produced in Mount Heng, the northern sacred mountain of China, and boasts a long history. As early as the Qing Dynasty, it was offered as a tribute to the imperial court as a precious specialty. It is an outstanding product among China’s green health foods and a renowned medicinal herb for export. According to *Compendium of Materia Medica*, Huangqi has a warming property and is effective for replenishing qi deficiency, activating...
Hengshan Lao Bai Gan is produced at the distillery in Hunyuan County at the foot of Mount Heng, one of China’s Five Great Mountains. It is a traditional famous liquor of Shanxi Province with a history of over 500 years. In the spring of 1948, the Party and government established the Shanxi Hengshan Liquor Industry Group Co., Ltd. on the foundation of four large-scale brewing workshops: Louzi Gangfang, Qingchenghou Gangfang, Santai Chang Gangfang, and Fushengkui Gangfang...
Made with Huangqi (Astragalus) from Hengshan Mountain, this Astragalus Lamb Soup features tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat with an inviting aroma, exceptional flavor, and is extremely easy to digest and absorb. It is not only a nourishing delicacy for women, the elderly, and those in delicate health, but also an essential dish served to sons-in-law and honored guests in the Hengshan region. …
Broad beans can be prepared in many ways — they can be ground into flour, deep-fried, or stir-fried dry. But when it comes to fame, none surpass “Hunyuan Broad Beans.” Their preparation involves multiple processes and they are rich in protein, sugar, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins. They are popular among tourists and are exported as far as Hebei and Inner Mongolia. The matching “Hunyuan Lotus Beans”…
Hunyuan Cold Noodles are a distinctive Han Chinese delicacy from Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province. In summer, cold noodles are one of the favorite foods of the locals. But in Hunyuan, people love cold noodles all year round, regardless of the season. On the streets, there are dozens of cold noodle stalls open throughout the four seasons. Located at the foot of Mount Heng, one of China's sacred Taoist mountains, Hunyuan is famed for its beautiful mountains, waters...
Hengshan Mountain Mushrooms grow in the natural forest areas of Hengshan Mountain. They are a type of wild edible fungus and one of the local specialties of Hunyuan. Absorbing the essence of Hengshan, they thrive in the dense woods on the mountain’s shady slopes. After heavy rain, various mushrooms sprout from the ground like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. There are over twenty varieties of Hengshan Mountain Mushrooms—some as large as watermelons, some exceptionally delicate and thin, some looking greasy and unappealing, others feeling tender and delicate. Some resemble clusters of chicken combs, while others look like single arrows; most, however, are more like a variety of clever, colorful little umbrellas. In particular, “Gray Sheep’s Eye Mushrooms,” “Aromatic Mushrooms,” and “Water Skin Mushrooms” are among the most commonly consumed types. Hengshan Mountain Mushrooms have a unique aroma, rich and fragrant to the bone, and locals use them to make soups, stir-fries, chicken stews, meat stews, thick gravies, and hot pot dishes. Especially popular is the classic dish of chicken stewed with mushrooms, which combines the earthy flavor of the mushrooms with the tenderness of the chicken—a traditional delicacy in the folk cuisine of Hunyuan.
Wild hazelnuts from Mount Heng are also locally known as "hazelnut buns." They belong to the shrub variety, with each tree yielding three to four pounds in a good year. These hazelnuts commonly grow in the northern and southern mountainous areas of Mount Heng, the Northern Sacred Mountain, and are one of the specialty products of Hunyuan. The main component of these hazelnuts is oleic acid, and regular consumption of wild hazelnuts from Mount Heng may help prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and offer certain other health benefits. …
Liyu Village in Dongfangcheng Township, Hunyuan County, is a unique local microclimate fruit orchard base. The area is known for producing large, plump, juicy, and sweet peach-apricots. Since they are not easy to preserve for long after harvest, locals dry the apricot flesh in sunny, well-ventilated areas to make dried apricots. The dehydration process retains the natural color and nutrients of the fresh apricots…
Huangqi is a precious traditional Chinese medicinal herb known for its tonic and qi-invigorating properties. The Huangqi from Hunyuan is renowned for being "long and straight, with smooth bright skin, high starch content, and minimal hollow centers," making its medicinal value higher than that of ordinary Huangqi. It is referred to as "Hunqi." The vast and continuous Hengshan Mountain area is famously known as the "Hometown of Huangqi." The Hunyuan Huangqi Processing Factory is…
Yam Dumplings, also known as Oat Flour Dumplings. Small pieces of oat flour dough are flattened by hand into wavy oval wrappers, then filled with shredded yam or radish greens ("yingzi," i.e., leaves), and shaped into dumplings. This is a unique noodle dish from Shanxi, typically served steamed and eaten fresh, or pan-fried until golden brown on a hot stove lid before eating. It is usually dipped in pickled vegetable...
Northern China’s oat noodles are a highly regional food. People from other areas not only haven’t eaten or seen them—they may not have even heard of them. A southerner once asked, “What are oat noodles? Are they made by mixing flour with oil?” causing quite a laugh. As the saying goes, each place has its own sustenance and grows its own crops. The northeast has soybeans…
The "Northern Astragalus Mushroom" is a new type of fungal product developed based on the traditional Chinese medicine theory of "medicine and food sharing the same origin." It is cultivated using authentic Huangqi (also known as Northern Astragalus) from Hengshan Mountain in North China, along with various Chinese herbal medicines and agricultural by-products as cultivation materials, through a scientifically formulated and specially processed method. Hence the name "Northern Astragalus Mushroom." It is a functional product that serves both medicinal and dietary purposes…
Daylily blossoms are a prized vegetable among flowers, also locally known as “golden needles” or “forget-worry grass.” Eating fresh daylily blossoms can lead to poisoning, as their toxic compounds weaken or disappear at high temperatures of around 60 degrees Celsius. For consumption, they must be processed by drying in the sun. Before eating, first blanch them in boiling water, then soak them in cold water for over two hours, remove them, and…
Datong has a long history of copper craftsmanship with exquisite techniques. As early as the Northern Wei Dynasty, it was renowned for its copperware. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, Datong's copper products have been sold nationwide. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the casting and manufacturing of copperware flourished significantly, with dozens of workshops operating in the Bell Tower Courtyard Lane, all passed down from father to son through generations—hence known as the “...”
Produced at the Meiyukou Coal Mine Ceramics Factory in Datong, these products feature unique shapes, innovative designs, and a wide variety. Especially noteworthy are the distinctive and captivating children's toys that embody ethnic characteristics and local flavor. The factory produces over 130 types of ceramic items, with hundreds of designs, many of which are rich in traditional ethnic culture and mythological stories…