Tuntun Jujube is one of the famous jujube varieties in Shanxi. It gets its name from its short, wide fruit shape, which resembles the traditional rural grain storage bins.
Pinglu Lily, produced in Pinglu County at the foot of the Zhongtiao Mountain, is renowned for its high quality and rich nutritional value, earning it the nickname "Zhongtiao Ginseng." It is cultivated from transplanted wild lilies. The bulbs are large, thick-fleshed, with a non-bitter aftertaste and no fibrous core. The largest can weigh over three taels (about 112 grams), while the average is around two taels (about 70 grams). When fresh, the bulbs resemble...
Jinnan cattle are bred in the Jinnan Basin, located in the southwestern part of Shanxi Province along the lower reaches of the Fen River. The Jinnan Basin lies in the lower Fen River valley, with abundant springs in the mountainous border areas, a mild climate, and features of a warm temperate continental semi-humid monsoon climate. Summers are hot and rainy, with an average annual temperature of 10–14°C, annual precipitation of 500–650 mm, and a frost-free period...
Primarily distributed in the townships east of the county seat, with the highest concentration in Caochuan, Podi, and Sanmen townships. The tobacco fields cover an area of over 20,000 mu, yielding 50,000–60,000 dan of high-quality tobacco leaves annually. Pinglu County has a terrain that is higher in the north and lower in the south, featuring sunny terraced slopes with abundant sunlight, high accumulated annual temperatures, and a long frost-free period. Its natural geographical conditions are similar to those of Yuxi in Yunnan…
Pinglu Mountain Yellow Cattle gained fame after being included in the *National Breed Register* in 1981, and locals also call them “Mountain Climbers.” This breed of yellow cattle is a unique variety gradually developed through the long-term careful breeding and cultivation by the people of the mountainous regions of Pinglu. The main characteristics of Pinglu Mountain Yellow Cattle are: relatively small body size, fine bone structure…
Schisandra is a deciduous climbing vine that grows wild in the mountainous regions of Pinglu. Its leaves are green, oblong in shape, and have petioles. In summer, it blooms small red, yellow, and white flowers, which later form spike-shaped fruits. The fruit matures from late July to August in the lunar calendar, appearing as red or yellow spikes. Each small berry is about one-and-a-half to two fen in diameter. People often pick and eat them raw; they taste sweet and sour. When boiled to remove the skin...
A deciduous shrub commonly found in the wild in the Zhongtiao Mountain area and also cultivable. Its branches are elongated and slightly vine-like. It blooms in early spring with deep yellow corollas. The dried fruit is oval-shaped, pointed at both ends, usually splitting longitudinally into two lobes, measuring about five to six centimeters in length and two to three centimeters in diameter. Harvested in autumn and dried for medicinal use. It has a bitter taste, is slightly cold in nature, and is known for its heat-clearing and detoxifying properties, …
Huang Qin produced in Zhongtiao Mountain. Due to its unique natural geographic and climatic conditions, Zhoutiao Qin enjoys high fame across China and is considered the finest variety of Huang Qin in the country, often referred to as the “little ginseng.” The appearance of Huang Qin varies widely — most have a fibrous root structure, while a minority feature a taproot. Its growth resembles that of a tree root: when young, it has few fibrous roots, but as…
The "dragon bones" purchased by traditional Chinese medicine shops are not actually "dragon bones," nor are the so-called "dragon teeth" really dragon teeth. What we refer to as "dragon bones" are in fact the skeletal remains of extinct mammals that lived on Earth during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs (from 12 million to several tens of thousands of years ago). When these animals died and were buried...
Also known as large cherries. Due to their early ripening, large size, and delicious taste, they have become a prized fruit and are highly favored by consumers. The sweet cherries in Pinglu County are predominantly of the Longguan variety, mainly grown in towns and villages near the county seat. They are available in the market starting mid-May, with an average single fruit weight of 6.8 grams, reaching up to 12 grams. The fruits are wide-heart shaped, with a gem-red appearance...
Pinglu County has a long history of pomegranate cultivation, with over 5,000 acres of pomegranate orchards, mainly concentrated near the county seat and in towns to the west of the county. Pinglu pomegranates are large, typically weighing between 500–750 grams, with the largest exceeding 1,000 grams. The skin is bright red, vividly colored, smooth, and clean; the seeds are plump, large, and brilliantly red and translucent...
Gypsum from Pinglu is as white as jade, pure in quality, pressure-resistant, and sets quickly. It once won a gold medal at the Panama Pacific International Exposition. Mainly distributed in the area to the east of Sanmen Town and to the west of Podi Township, its total reserves exceed 63 million tons, with CaSO4·2H2O content reaching 91%–97%. It is widely used in construction materials, medicine...
A deciduous woody vine plant, known as the "King of Fruits," ranking first among the world's top ten famous fruits. It is considered the best nutritional food for professionals in industries such as aerospace, diving, and mountaineering. Mainly grown in the Zhongtiao Mountain area, it contains 13 amino acids required by living organisms, including tyrosine, as well as proteolytic enzymes. Each 100 grams of fresh fruit contains…
Produced in areas such as Miquangou, Heyugou, Pangou, Angou, Gangshuyao, and Xiangchungou in Podi Township, Pinglu County, this persimmon variety has a cultivation history of about 1,350 years. It is seedless, and the dried persimmons made from it can quickly dissolve in water. Among these, those from Miquangou are the most abundant, hence the name “Miquangou Water-Soluble Persimmon.” It is a unique persimmon variety found only in Pinglu County…
Mainly distributed in the western part of the county, particularly in Changle and Hongchi townships, with relatively concentrated cultivation in Beizhang Village. The Wrapped Persimmon is known as the "Tribute Persimmon" of Pinglu County, and together with the Shuihua Persimmon from Maquangou, they are hailed as the two most famous persimmons of Pinglu. The Wrapped Persimmon fruit is large and flat-round, with an average weight of 180 grams per fruit, and up to 200 grams at maximum. Its skin is fine and thin, making it easy to peel; it has abundant bloom…
Produced in the area around Ge Zhao Village, Changle Town, west of the county, these apricots are large and delicious, with multiple varieties including "Big Sweet Pit," "Yellow Sweet Pit," "Red Sweet Pit," "Banana Apricot," "Da Hong Pao," "White Sand Apricot," "Yellow Branch Apricot," "Egg Apricot," and "Pheasant Red." Ge Zhao apricots have thin skins, juicy flesh, thick meat, and a richly sweet flavor that is slightly...
This product comes in both wild and cultivated varieties. The wild type mainly grows in the Zhongtiao Mountain area of our county, as well as in Xiajian Village, Wangjiagou Village in Caochuan Town to the east of the county, and Maquangou in Podi Township. It thrives most in years with abundant rainfall, with the highest yield in summer and autumn. It can be found everywhere across the Zhongtiao Mountain region and is often consumed by local farmers. Once cooked...
The leaves of the Hu Ye tree. The Hu Ye tree grows in the Zhongtiao Mountain area and is a deciduous shrub. Its leaves are about seven or eight inches long and five or six inches wide, oblong in shape with rounded serrated edges. In the past, local people used them as steaming cloths for baking bread. Hu Ye leaves can also be used to raise silkworms. Some have experimented with releasing oak silkworms in the Hu Ye forests of Zhongtiao Mountain to harvest cocoons, yielding quite good economic returns...
is the fruit produced by oak trees. Oak trees grow in the Zhongtiao Mountain area and are deciduous trees. Their fruit is round and spherical, with the outer shell called the acorn shell, which can be used as a dye, and the inner kernel called the acorn. Acorns are highly nutritious, rich in starch, sugar, and other nutrients. They serve as high-quality feed for livestock and can also be consumed by humans. Industrially, they are often used to make paste. Acorn...
Also known as mountain lacquer, it is found in the Zhongtiao Mountain area of Pinglu. Each tree yields approximately 0.5–1 kilogram of lacquer per year, and after one harvest, it must rest for three years before it can be tapped again. The raw lacquer harvested from lacquerwood trees is known as the “king of coatings,” referred to as “black gold,” and is more precious than gold. Exporting one ton of raw lacquer is worth over ten thousand US dollars...