Tianbaoshan Hawthorn

Tianbaoshan Hawthorn

Tianbaoshan Hawthorn is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Tianbaoshan Hawthorn is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　According to the "Linyi Fruit and Tea Conference," hawthorn from Tianbaoshan in Pingyi County has been cultivated since the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty. It is renowned for its robust tree vigor, superior quality, large fruit size, vibrant color, long storage life, and suitability for processing, earning it a long-standing reputation.

　　In the 1960s, fruit farmers relied solely on traditional methods to grow hawthorn, resulting in low yields, no improvement in fruit tree varieties, and consistently small harvests year after year. This discouraged farmers and diminished their enthusiasm for growing hawthorn. After the reform and opening-up, with the rise of the fruit deep-processing industry in Difang Town, Pingyi County, market demand for hawthorn increased. Farmers rediscovered the economic value of Tianbaoshan hawthorn, which has a centuries-long cultivation history. Under the guidance of local party committees and the government, farmers promoted the use of farmyard manure, high-efficiency organic fertilizer, and biological microbial fertilizer, employed non-hazardous agents for pest control, and developed pollution-free, green, and organic produce to cultivate high-quality fruit. These efforts laid a solid foundation for enhancing the quality and grade of Tianbaoshan hawthorn.

　　In 2008, the Pingyi County Administration for Industry and Commerce, through policy guidance and support, registered and established the "Tianbao Wealthy Fruit Professional Cooperative" in Pingyi County, with over 4,000 members. Subsequently, the Difang Town Fruit Planting Association was formed. In 2009, certified by the Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture, the Tianbaoshan hawthorn production base obtained pollution-free product origin certification; certified by the Ministry of Agriculture, it received a pollution-free agricultural product certificate. Currently, the production area of Tianbaoshan hawthorn exceeds 3,000 hectares, with an annual yield of 120,000 tons and an output value of over 500 million yuan. Canned products made from Tianbaoshan hawthorn have been exported to over 20 countries and regions, including Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, generating foreign exchange earnings of more than 80 million US dollars. The "candied hawthorn vendors" from Pingyi County have traveled across the country, spreading the culture of "Tianbaoshan hawthorn" while selling their products.

　　The planting area, cultivation history, scale, fruit quality, cultural factors, and economic value of Tianbaoshan hawthorn all meet the criteria for applying for a national geographical indication certification trademark. Last February, with strong support from the Pingyi County Party Committee and County Government, the Pingyi County Administration for Industry and Commerce carefully prepared and actively assisted the Difang Town Fruit Planting Association in formulating a proposal for applying for a China Geographical Indication Certification Trademark. They submitted the application for "Tianbaoshan Hawthorn" to the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. On December 30 of last year, the Trademark Office officially accepted the application, marking a phased achievement in the registration process of the "Tianbaoshan Hawthorn" geographical indication certification trademark in Pingyi County, Shandong Province. It will become another China Geographical Indication Certification Trademark following Pingyi County's "Pingyi Honeysuckle" and "Wutai Yellow Peach."

　　After the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce accepted the application for the China Geographical Indication Certification Trademark for "Tianbaoshan Hawthorn," the Pingyi County Party Committee and County Government further increased policy support for hawthorn farmers. Now, the price of Tianbaoshan hawthorn has increased by 30% compared to the same period last year. Through cultivating Tianbaoshan hawthorn, farmers' per capita income has risen by over 800 yuan, and their enthusiasm for planting has reached unprecedented levels. Today, Tianbaoshan is covered with lush, improved hawthorn trees. During the blooming and harvesting seasons, tourists from surrounding counties and cities flock to experience "rural day trips." Farmers carefully package the bright red hawthorn they pick and sell it to visiting guests and to various fruit deep-processing enterprises. Li Qingsong, legal representative of the Tianbao Wealthy Fruit Professional Cooperative in Pingyi County, said, "The once humble 'mountain hawthorn,' with strong support from the government and the hard work of farmers, has seen significant improvements in quality. It has become a 'money bag' for farmers to achieve prosperity."

　　The hawthorn of Tianbaoshan in Pingyi County has "risen" in prominence—it has shone at the China Geographical Products (Linyi) Experience Exchange Symposium, in the exhibition halls of the 10th China Specialty Culture Festival and the 1st China Geographical Indication Culture Festival, across the nation, in countries and regions such as Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, in the hearts of the people, and in their wallets.

　　Geographical Scope

　　The protected geographical area for Tianbaoshan hawthorn is within Difang Town, Pingyi County, Shandong Province. The geographical coordinates are 117°44′00″ to 117°53′00″ east longitude and 35°18′00″ to 35°23′00″ north latitude. It spans 3.5 km from north to south and 10 km from east to west, covering a protected area of 4,000 hectares, with a production area of 3,000 hectares and an annual yield of 120,000 tons. The highest point is Tianbaoshan, at an elevation of 480 meters, and the lowest is Hongliang River in Fanjiatai Village, at 82 meters. The area mainly includes the Dayugou Basin, Wanggushan Basin, and Gancaoyu Basin. It borders Tongshi Town to the north, Zhengcheng Town to the west, Zhutian Town of Feixian County to the south, and Yixingzhuang Village of Difang Town to the east, encompassing a total of 22 administrative villages. The overall terrain is higher in the west and lower in the east, with north-south mountain ranges running east-west, sloping like ridges to form terraced slopes, creating an inverted "U"-shaped landscape and a unique microclimate.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: Fresh, clean, with no abnormal external moisture. Possesses the basic characteristics inherent to the variety, with bright red fruit, the natural waxy gloss typical of the variety at maturity, and coloring covering over 95% of the surface area expected for the variety. Exhibits the unique flavor of the variety, with no off-odors, no hail damage, bruising, or other surface defects. Free from rot and flesh browning. Weight variation does not exceed 5% of the average fruit weight. 2. Internal Quality Characteristics: Each 100 grams of fresh hawthorn flesh contains 14.26–16.20 grams of soluble solids, 7.27–10.12 grams of total sugar, 1.5–3.66 grams of total acid, and 37.4–129.4 mg of vitamin C. It is also rich in trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron, with calcium levels of 226–902 mg/liter, phosphorus of 12.2–20.5 mg/liter, and iron of 1.98–48.25 mg/liter. The edible rate is 92.1%, and the dry matter yield is 35%. 3. Safety Technical Indicators: Tianbaoshan hawthorn must meet the pollution-free hawthorn standards set by the food department.