Water Shield from Xianghu Lake

Water Shield from Xianghu Lake

　　　Place of origin: Xianghu Lake, Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province

　　Product characteristics: Crisp, tender, refreshing, richly aromatic, and uniquely flavorful.

　　Product components: Vitamin B12, protein, minerals, etc.

　　Product benefits: Moistens lungs, promotes urination, reduces swelling, detoxifies, aids digestion, relieves diarrhea, clears heat, promotes diuresis, reduces swelling, detoxifies, and helps prevent stomach and intestinal cancers such as esophageal and colorectal cancers.

　　Product introduction: Water Shield from Xianghu Lake is a precious aquatic plant and a gourmet delicacy, known for its smooth texture without greasiness, fragrant taste, and high protein content. As early as 1,600 years ago during China’s Eastern Jin Dynasty, there are records of “water shield and perch soup,” where water shield was used to make court cuisine. The Jiagu Annals of Kuaiji from the Southern Song Dynasty’s Jiatai era noted: “The water shield from Xianghu Lake in Xiaoshan is especially prized—tender, smooth, and rich.” The Ming Dynasty’s West Lake Travel Notes recorded that during the Song Dynasty, “water shield near the Third Bridge of West Lake (now Wangshan Bridge on Su Causeway) was nearly as good as that from Xianghu Lake.” Originally, water shield grew naturally in both Xianghu Lake and West Lake. In the late 1960s,

　　Product history: Water Shield from Xianghu Lake in Xiaoshan has a long cultivation history and considerable renown. Lu You (1125–1210), a poet of the Song Dynasty, wrote over forty poems about water shield, vividly describing its picking, marketing, and cooking. Lines such as “Taking friends to pick water shield at Xianghu Lake” and “Picking water shield by boat on Xianghu Lake myself” deeply reflect the poet’s enthusiasm for harvesting the plant. The Jiagu Annals of Kuaiji from the Southern Song Dynasty stated: “The water shield from Xianghu Lake in Xiaoshan is especially precious.” The Wanli-era Annals of Xiaoshan County noted: “Water shield from Xianghu Lake is supremely beautiful, surpassing other varieties.” After the famed “West Lake Water Shield Soup” gained popularity, much of the water shield used was also sourced from Xianghu Lake. The Draft Annals of Xiaoshan County (1935) recorded: “Water shield is highly popular in Hangzhou, but since West Lake produces little, most is brought from Xiaoshan.”