Guangyang Jujubes

Guangyang Jujubes

　　Guangyang jujubes were listed as an imperial tribute in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, they were widely sold in the Jiangnan region. At that time, jujube merchants in Hankou advertised them as “First-Class Guangyang Jujubes from Jiuli Mountain,” making them famous across China. Guangyang jujubes are bright red, large in size, and delicate — they break easily when dropped. They are crisp, sweet, and have a lingering fragrant aftertaste, making them an excellent fresh fruit. According to tests by Henan Agricultural University, every 100 grams of fresh Guangyang jujubes contain 21.72%–33.0% sugar, 289.95–394.3 mg of vitamin C, 92% edible portion, and a higher flesh yield than other varieties. They have a sweet flavor, are ideal for fresh consumption, and can also be processed into dried jujubes, jujube products, canned goods, and jujube juice beverages. Their dried jujubes are also elastic — when stacked in packages, they regain their original shape within a day after unpacking, which makes them suitable for long-distance transport.

　　Currently, Fangcheng County has 13,500 mu of jujube orchards with 600,000 trees, producing 1,300 tons of fresh jujubes annually. In addition to Guangyang jujubes, there are also varieties such as Guangyang Dayuanling, Xiaoyuanling, Zhuling, Shigunling, Mayajiao, and Yangnaijiao. Moreover, the county has 210,000 mu of wild jujube tree resources, with 17.6 million trees. Fangcheng County has designated Guangyang Town as the center to establish a 30,000-mu commercial production base for Guangyang jujubes, aiming for an annual output of 10,000 tons of fresh jujubes. The county also plans to increase the annual processing capacity of its five fruit processing plants to 5,000 tons, implementing comprehensive development with broad market prospects.