Mengjin Watermelon

Mengjin Watermelon

Mengjin watermelon is a product with geographical indication.

　　    Mengjin watermelons are renowned for their thin rinds, sandy flesh, high sugar content, and smooth, tender texture. Shuizhuang Village has planted over 100 acres of premium watermelons in its vegetable base, using organic fertilizer and irrigation from deep wells. The village also raises more than 40 dairy goats, and sprays goat milk on the watermelons during their growth to sterilize them and enhance their nutritional value.

　　    Shuizhuang Town in Mengjin County is situated on the Mangshan Ridge, where the soil and water quality are excellent. As early as the time of Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty, the watermelons grown by villagers were recognized for their premium quality and designated as tribute, sent to the imperial court annually for the emperor’s enjoyment. After the reform and opening-up, especially in the 1970s and 1980s, the seedless watermelons from Shuizhuang Village became widely famous. Today, the pocket-sized watermelons produced here are well known for their thin rinds, sandy flesh, and high sugar content. To further boost the nutritional value, high-quality goat milk is sprayed on the vines multiple times during the month from fruit setting to harvesting. Goat milk not only improves the quality of the watermelons but also acts as an antibacterial agent — hence the name "Goat Milk Pocket Watermelon."

　　    The main characteristics of Mengjin watermelons are their thin rinds, superior quality, portability, bright color, and early ripening. The rind colors include yellow, green, and various multicolored patterns, while the flesh comes in bright red, red, pink, bright yellow, orange-yellow, and beige. The fruits come in both round and oval shapes. Mengjin watermelons have tender, juicy flesh, typically weighing around 1.5 kg per fruit, with a rind thickness of 0.4 cm. The central sugar content reaches 12.5%, while the area near the rind contains about 9% sugar. The fruit is crisp, sweet, and refreshing, making it one of the most nutritious, purest, and safest foods to eat. During harvest season, buyers from within and outside the province flock to purchase them.

　　    In addition to supplying the local market, Mengjin watermelons are also sold to Beijing, Shanghai, Shandong, Shanxi, and Hebei. Since no grafting techniques or chemical pesticides and fertilizers are used during their growth, these small watermelons offer advantages such as high yield, high sugar content, and moderate size compared to ordinary large watermelons. They are small, delicate, with thin rinds and superior quality, sweet and refreshing taste, attractive appearance, and portability. They have been very popular with consumers since hitting the market.

　　    Mengjin watermelons are mainly distributed across Huimeng Town, Pingle Town, Shuizhuang Town, Baihe Town, Chaoyang Town, Chengguan Town, Matun Town, Hengshui Town, Xiaolangdi Town, and Changdai Township in Mengjin County, Luoyang City, covering a total production area of 2,500 hectares. Mengjin County is located in the central-western hilly and mountainous region of Henan Province, at the boundary between the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. It lies 110 km east of the provincial capital Zhengzhou, 90 km west of the famous western Henan city Sanmenxia, adjacent to the ancient capital Luoyang to the south, and borders the mighty Yellow River to the north, connected by a bridge to Jiyuan City. The overall terrain can be summarized as “three mountains, six hills, and one plain.” The county spans longitude 112°12′–112°49′ east and latitude 34°43′–34°57′ north, stretching 55.5 km from east to west and 26.9 km from north to south, covering an area of 758.7 square kilometers. The transportation network is well-developed: five railway and highway bridges span the 100-li section of the Yellow River, connecting with Shanxi, Hebei, Jiaozuo, and Jiyuan. The Longhai Railway runs through the entire county, and the Jiaoliu Railway has three stations in Mengjin. The Lianyungang–Khorgas Expressway, known as the Eurasian Continental Bridge, has three interchanges in the county, while the Tai’ao Expressway, Luoyang Southwest Ring Expressway, National Highway 310, National Highway 207, and Luochang Highway intersect within the area. Luoyang Airport, a national Class II aviation port, is located in Matun Town of the county. This fast and comprehensive transportation network brings a large flow of people, goods, and information, while also providing strong logistical support for production and business operations. The protected production area of Mengjin watermelons covers 2,500 hectares, with an annual output of 80,000 tons.