Iron Buddha Seedless Watermelon

Iron Buddha Seedless Watermelon

　　The Iron Buddha seedless watermelon from Tiefu Town, Suixi County, Huaibei City, Anhui Province, is a local specialty. Tiefu Town has over 30 years of experience in watermelon cultivation. In recent years, the town has developed a 10,000-mu seedless watermelon base across seven administrative villages including Daokou Village and Tiefu, with a total planting area of 12,000 mu. The watermelons are of high-quality varieties, large in size, with fine-textured flesh, thin rinds, and great taste. They have been certified as green food under the national-approved brand "Fumi."

　　Tiefu Town is located about 23 kilometers southwest of Suixi County, Huaibei City. It is 45 kilometers east of Suzhou City and 15 kilometers west of Yongcheng City. The terrain here is flat, with key roads such as the Suyong Highway, Suixue Highway, and Baitie Highway crossing through. The planned Xuchang–Huai’an Expressway will run across the southern part of the town, making transportation very convenient. The town administers 26 villages, has a population of 119,000, and 253,000 mu of arable land, covering a total area of 223.03 square kilometers. The land is flat, with major roads such as the Siyong Road, Suixue Road, and Baitie Road intersecting the area. The planned Huaiyin–Xuchang Expressway will also pass through the southern part of the town, ensuring good transport links. Historically known as Iron Buddha Temple, the town got its name from a legend about an iron Buddha statue that descended from the sky. It boasts a long history and rich cultural heritage.

　　Tiefu Town is located in the southwestern part of Suixi County, bordering Yongcheng City of Henan Province to the west. It covers an area of 256.7 square kilometers, has a population of 119,000, and administers 37 administrative villages. The town enjoys convenient transportation and abundant resources.

　　The terrain within the town is flat, with the Tuohé River flowing from west to east. Six major drainage channels — including the Xinjian Gou, Qinggou, and Suidi Gou — stretch across the area from east to west. The land is fertile, with 218,000 mu of arable land, making it a typical agricultural hub. Through comprehensive agricultural development initiatives, the town has established several production bases: 160,000 mu for high-quality wheat, 10,000 mu for seedless watermelons, and eight bases for livestock breeding with a total capacity of 10,000 animals.

　　Tiefu Town has been cultivating high-quality watermelons as an industry for 10 years, starting in Daokou Village. Two years after introducing seedless watermelons from the Suzhou City Watermelon Association, Daokou Village gained widespread fame. In 2005, the varieties were updated to premium brands such as "Dongting No. 1," "Dongting No. 3," and "Zhengkang No. 5" from Hunan and Henan. These new varieties, noted for their quality, quickly entered markets in Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Shanghai, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guizhou. During the development of premium watermelons, the Daokou Village-initiated Seedless Watermelon Association and the Tiefu Town Agricultural, Industrial and Commercial Company were established to promote and market the produce. The "Fumi" brand was registered and later certified as green food by the National Green Food Development Center.