Golden Silk Tung Oil

Golden Silk Tung Oil

Golden Silk Tung Oil is a geographical indication protected product.

Golden Silk Tung Oil is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　“Golden Silk Tung Oil” is a famous local specialty of Laifeng County, Hubei Province. It has a high concentration, a bright orange-yellow hue, and can be drawn into threads, hence earning the name “Golden Silk Tung Oil.” The quality of “Golden Silk Tung Oil” ranks the highest among tung oils in China, and it has won the Hubei Provincial “Product Gold Award” and “Best-Selling Product Award.”

　　Golden Silk Tung Oil is an excellent drying oil, characterized by fast drying, low specific gravity, good gloss, non-conductivity, resistance to heat and moisture, as well as acid and alkali resistance, along with anti-corrosion and anti-rust properties. It is widely used in agriculture, military industry, electrical appliances, chemical engineering, as well as furniture and handicrafts industries. The medicinal value of Golden Silk Tung Oil is also very high: it reduces the permeability and fragility of capillaries and is quite effective in treating sequelae of cerebral thrombosis and cerebral arteriosclerosis. Folk remedies also use tung oil to treat stomachaches in children—simply warm the oil and apply it directly to the child’s navel, where it also serves a bactericidal function.

　　Laifeng County is one of the tung oil production bases in Hubei Province. The Qing Dynasty’s “Laifeng County Annals” recorded: “Tung oil is the oil extracted from tung trees. The trees are not very tall, but they bear many fruits. The flowers are pale white with red streaks in the middle. The fruits ripen in September and October, after which they are harvested to extract oil. The oil comes in black and white varieties, and the residue can be used as fertilizer for fields.” It also stated: “Also called ‘Ren Tung Zi,’ the tree bears large and round fruits. To extract oil, many seeds are needed, and it has multiple uses”; “Tung trees are very suitable for cultivation. Within just two or three years, they yield boundless profits.” As early as the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, Laifeng County was praised for having “ten thousand dan of tung oil transported down to Dongting Lake.” In 1953, China’s State Council awarded “Golden Silk Tung Oil” the banner of “First in Tung Oil Quality in Laifeng.” In 1968, Laifeng’s “Golden Silk Tung Oil” ranked first in Hubei Province’s tung oil quality evaluation. In 1984, the Tropical Plant Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Forestry conducted sampling tests on tung oil from 27 regions across China and determined that Laifeng’s “Golden Silk Tung Oil” had the best quality in the country. It was introduced as a premium local specialty in both the “China Atlas” and the “World Atlas,” making it a treasured gem of the Tujia ethnic area. In 2005, at the second Hubei Provincial Forestry Expo, Laifeng’s “Golden Silk Tung Oil” received the “Product Gold Award” and “Best-Selling Product Award.”

　　As early as the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, Laifeng County was praised for having “ten thousand dan of tung oil transported down to Dongting Lake”; in 1953, China’s State Council awarded “Golden Silk Tung Oil” the “Laifeng Tung Oil Quality First” banner; in 1968, Laifeng’s “Golden Silk Tung Oil” ranked first in Hubei Province’s tung oil quality competition; in 1984, the Tropical Plant Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Forestry sampled and tested tung oil from 27 regions across China, concluding that Laifeng’s “Golden Silk Tung Oil” was the highest quality in China. It was featured in the “China Atlas” and “World Atlas” as a premium local specialty, making it a treasured resource in the Tujia-inhabited region. In 2005, Laifeng’s “Golden Silk Tung Oil” won the “Product Gold Award” and “Best-Selling Product Award” at the second Hubei Provincial Forestry Expo.

　　In 2009, after review by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, it was decided to implement national geographical indication product protection for the Golden Silk Tung Oil produced in Laifeng County, Hubei Province. [9]

　　Protected Area

　　The geographical indication product protection area for Golden Silk Tung Oil covers nine administrative regions in Hubei Province’s Laifeng County: Baifusi Town, Manshui Township, Lushui Township, Hujaping Forest Farm, Dahe Town, Jiuxi Township, Geche Township, Sanhu Township, and Xiangfeng Town.