BanShui River Lily

Manshuihe Lily

Manshuihe Lily is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Manshuihe Town in Huoshan County, Anhui Province, situated deep in the Dabie Mountains, is renowned as the "Hometown of Lilies." Over time, the local people have created numerous regionally distinctive and high-quality products through their production practices, earning widespread renown. The Manshuihe Lily, thanks to its unique cultivation environment, has become an outstanding product of its kind. In 2005, it was approved as a green food product by the Provincial Agricultural Commission, emerging as a unique gem of the Dabie Mountains presented to the world. The lily is white in color, tender in flesh, large in size, completely natural and pollution-free, rich in protein, starch, pectin, vitamins, and trace alkaloids. It helps moisten the lungs, relieve coughs, clear heat, and calm the nerves, offering auxiliary therapeutic effects for symptoms such as coughing with blood, chronic bronchitis, neurasthenia, and sleeplessness. It serves as an excellent health supplement for nourishing and cleansing the body.

　　Historical Origins

　　　　Lilies are mentioned in the “Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica,” and have been extensively documented in herbals throughout the dynasties. As early as the Tang Dynasty [Figure 2: Lily Base in Manshuihe Town, Huoshan County],

　　China began cultivating, consuming, and using lilies for medicinal purposes, with them being offered as tribute to the imperial court over 500 years ago.

　　Lilies have a long cultivation history in Huoshan County. The “Lu’an Prefecture Annals” from the Qing Dynasty already recorded their presence, marking a history of over a hundred years. Both the “Lu’an Regional Annals” and the “Huoshan County Annals” document the cultivated variety of lilies under the herbal medicine section and include lilies in the “List of Authentic Medicinal Materials.” After lilies were introduced to Huoshan, farmers in Manshuihe Town leveraged the area’s favorable ecological environment and natural advantages, focusing primarily on growing economic crops such as lilies. Over time, they accumulated extensive planting and management expertise, which has been passed down through generations.

　　Planting Advantages

　　　　1. Unique Geographic Features

　　Huoshan County is located between 31°03′–31°33′ north latitude and 115°52′–116°32′ east longitude, within the Dabie Mountain range, with an average elevation of 500 meters. The county’s topography is divided into four main types: mid-mountain, low mountain, hills, and intermountain basins. Mid-mountain areas cover approximately 800 square kilometers, low mountains 814 square kilometers, hills 400 square kilometers, and intermountain basins 41 square kilometers. Manshuihe Lilies are mainly planted in mid-mountain, low mountain, and basin areas below 700 meters, where the soil is fertile and rich in organic matter—ideal conditions that greatly contribute to the unique quality of Manshuihe Lilies.

　　2. Unique Climatic Conditions

　　Lilies thrive in warmth but not extreme heat, prefer shade but not deep shade, require moisture but not waterlogging, and are cold-resistant but vulnerable to freezing. During their growth period, lilies require: emergence with daily average temperatures consistently above 10.0°C; monthly average temperatures of 10°C–28°C during the growth phase; rapid growth of above-ground stems at 16°C–24°C; optimal bulb swelling at 24°C–29°C; noticeably slowed growth at temperatures ≥30°C; and high-temperature damage causing yellowing or wilting of leaf tips or entire leaves when temperatures reach ≥35°C.

　　Huoshan County falls within the northern subtropical monsoon climate zone. Its overall climate is characterized by mild winters without severe cold, cool summers without extreme heat, moderate temperatures year-round, abundant rainfall, and persistent humidity—all creating excellent climatic conditions suitable for lily cultivation.

　　3. Unique Environmental Advantages

　　The main production area of Manshuihe Lilies lies deep in the Dabie Mountains, surrounded by peaks and lush mountains, with beautiful landscapes, high vegetation coverage, fresh air, and no industrial pollution. The superior geographic environment makes it the top ecological county in central and western China, providing an ideal ecological setting for the growth of Manshuihe Lilies. Testing shows that the air quality in the production area meets the Grade I standards of the “Ambient Air Quality Standards” (GB3095-1996); soil quality indicators comply with the “Soil Environmental Quality Standards” (GB15618-1995); and irrigation water quality indicators meet the “Agricultural Irrigation Water Quality Standards” (GB5084-1992). The overall environmental quality conforms to the requirements for pollution-free vegetable production.

　　Place of Origin

　　　　The protected geographical indication product area for Manshuihe Lily covers the entire administrative region of Huoshan County, Anhui Province.