Zhuji Fragrant Torreya

Zhuji Fragrant Torreya

　　Zhuji Fragrant Torreya is a specialty of Zhuji City, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. As the country’s leading producer of fragrant torreya, Zhuji has a history of cultivating and utilizing this nut for over 1,300 years. The city is home to the world’s only 50-square-kilometer Fragrant Torreya Forest Park and boasts the largest planting area of fragrant torreya among all counties and cities in China, with an annual output of around 700 tons, accounting for over 60% of the national total. The “Champion” and “Ye Zhen” brands have been recognized as China’s Well-Known Trademarks.

　　Fragrant torreya, commonly referred to as “torreya,” is an evergreen tree. It is a rare and precious fruit— it often takes about 20 years for a planted torreya tree to bear fruit. With exceptional vitality, its fruiting period can last 500 to 600 years, or even up to a thousand years. Additionally, fragrant torreya has a unique characteristic: it takes three years from flowering to fruit maturation. As a result, three generations of fruit can be found on the branches simultaneously, which is why local farmers call it the "three-generation fruit."

　　Fragrant torreya is prized for its excellent color, aroma, and taste. Su Dongpo, a poet of the Song Dynasty, once wrote, “That beautiful fruit of the Yushan Mountain, served as golden platter food,” attesting to its allure. Not only is it deliciously crisp and rich in nutrition, but it also offers multiple medicinal benefits. It helps resolve phlegm, quench thirst, clear the lungs, moisten the intestines, and relieve hemorrhoids. The skin of the fragrant torreya seed can even expel roundworms, so there’s no need to meticulously peel it off before eating. The kernel contains 50% fat, with unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid making up 78.4% of the total fatty acids, giving it the ability to lower blood lipids, prevent arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease, as well as promote beauty and hair growth. It is a truly green health food and makes an excellent gift for family and friends.

　　Having already been honored as the “Hometown of Chinese Fragrant Torreya” in 1997, Zhuji City also boasts an even more prestigious title—“Capital of Chinese Fragrant Torreya.” The fragrant torreya produced here leads the nation in both quantity and quality. To distinguish it from other “Hometowns of Chinese Fragrant Torreya” that also produce the nut, Zhuji has been elevated to the status of “Capital,” a subtle but significant one-character upgrade that underscores its dominant position in China’s fragrant torreya industry.

　　As the country’s leading producer of fragrant torreya, Zhuji has a history of cultivating and utilizing this nut for over 1,300 years. The region is home to 245 ancient torreya tree clusters and 40,754 ancient torreya trees aged over 100 years, with the oldest tree being more than 1,350 years old. Located in Wang Village, Zhuji Town, this ancient tree stands 18 meters tall, has a girth of 9.26 meters, and covers an area of over 500 square meters. Recognized as the “most uniquely individual” tree, it was included in the 2007 Zhejiang Agricultural Guinness Records and hailed by experts as the “King of Chinese Fragrant Torreya.” The city is also home to the world’s only 50-square-kilometer Fragrant Torreya Forest Park and boasts the largest planting area of fragrant torreya among all counties and cities in China, with an annual output of around 700 tons, accounting for over 60% of the national total. The “Champion” and “Ye Zhen” brands have been recognized as China’s Well-Known Trademarks.

　　Zhuji City also provides incentives for those who obtain certifications such as organic food, pollution-free agricultural products and production areas, green food, and forest food, thereby encouraging farmers and enterprises to improve the quality of their fragrant torreya. Currently, the 10,000-mu Fengqiao Fragrant Torreya Base has passed the provincial forest food base certification, and eight fragrant torreya products have received provincial green agricultural product (forest food) certification. At the same time, Zhuji is actively fostering an industrialized management model of “leading enterprises + bases + farmers.” By supporting and nurturing leading enterprises, the city aims to drive the broader farming community. There is currently one national-level agricultural leading enterprise and three provincial-level agricultural leading enterprises engaged in fragrant torreya processing in the city. Zhuji also encourages enterprises to build and upgrade their brands. Currently, the “Champion” and “Ye Zhen” brands are recognized as China’s Well-Known Trademarks, the “Lao He” brand is a Zhejiang Provincial Famous Product, and the “Fei Huang” brand is a Zhejiang Provincial Well-Known Trademark.

　　Here, ancient trees tower above, forests are lush and dense, rocky cliffs and waterfalls create breathtaking scenery, while birds sing and flowers bloom, offering a truly enchanting experience. The title of “Capital of Chinese Fragrant Torreya” bestowed upon Zhuji will undoubtedly inspire this ancient and magical “money tree” to sprout even more new life.