Wuxue Buddha's Hand Yam

Wuxue Buddha's Hand Yam

Wuxue Buddha's Hand Yam is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Yam contains 18 nutrients including sugar, protein, potassium, amino acids, and vitamins. When stewed, it emits a rich aroma and has a unique flavor. It offers various health benefits such as nourishing yin, benefiting the lungs, strengthening the kidneys and stomach, stopping diarrhea, resolving phlegm, and moisturizing hair—making it an excellent food-medicine.

　　Wuxue has a history of over 300 years in yam cultivation, with Longping yams being the best known as "Long Yao" (Dragon Yam), followed by those from Meichuan, Henggang Baiyuan, and other areas. The highest annual production of Wuxue yams reached 2 million kilograms, supplying eastern Hubei and regions along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

　　Geographical Scope

　　The geographical scope includes Meichuan Town and Yuchuan Town in Wuxue City, as well as adjacent areas where Buddha's Hand Yam is grown. Originally named Guangji, Wuxue is located between 115°22′–115°49′ east longitude and 29°50′–30°13′ north latitude. It lies on the northern bank of the middle and lower Yangtze River, at the southern foot of the Dabie Mountains, on the eastern edge of eastern Hubei. It borders Qichun, Huangmei, Yangxin, Jiujiang, and Ruichang. The area spans a maximum east-west width of 43 km and a maximum north-south length of 42 km, covering 1,200.35 square kilometers, which accounts for 0.65% of Hubei Province’s total area. Meichuan Town is located in the northern part of the city, 37 km from the urban center and adjacent to Qichun; Yuchuan Town is in the northeastern part, also 37 km from the city and bordering Huangmei.

　　Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic Historical Factors

　　(1) Soil and Topography: Wuxue is at the northern edge of the red soil zone, a transitional area between red soil and yellow-brown soil. According to the Second National Soil Survey, Wuxue has five soil types, 11 subtypes, 45 soil genera, and 293 soil species, including zonal soils (yellow-brown soil and brown-red soil) and non-zonal soils (fluvo-aquic soil, limestone soil, and paddy soil). The Buddha's Hand Yam growing areas mainly consist of sandy loam with highly matured soil, deep and loose layers rich in organic matter—ideal for yam growth. Meichuan and Yuchuan are over 500 meters above sea level, formed by two branches of the Dabie Mountains: Taiping Mountain and Henggang Mountain, covering about 84.53 square kilometers or 7.04% of the city’s total area.

　　(2) Hydrology: Major rivers in the region include Meichuan, Jingzhu, Songyang, and Baiyuan. Rivers like Meichuan and Jingzhu flow into Wushan Lake, then converge into Taihu Lake before draining eastward into the Huayang River; Songyang and Baiyuan rivers flow westward into...

　　Qichun’s Chidong Lake. The Meichuan River is the largest in the area, stretching 29 km with a drainage basin of 227 square kilometers; the Jingzhu River is 25 km long with a basin of 176 square kilometers; the Songyang and Baiyuan rivers are smaller, at 12 km and 8 km respectively. The local groundwater is fissure water in bedrock, classified as sodium bicarbonate or calcium-sodium type extremely soft water, with hardness under 4 degrees, making it a water-scarce region.

　　(3) Climate: Wuxue has a subtropical monsoon humid climate. In the Buddha's Hand Yam growing areas, the average annual temperature is 14.8°C, with an annual accumulated temperature of around 3,137°C. The frost-free period averages 254.3 days, and annual precipitation ranges from 1,323.3 to 1,343.1 mm, peaking in spring and summer, decreasing in autumn, and reaching a minimum in winter—aligning with the yam’s water needs during tuber elongation and expansion. The area receives an average of 1,913.5 hours of sunshine annually, with solar radiation energy at 106.799 kcal/cm².

　　(4) Humanistic History: Wuxue has a long history of cultivating Buddha's Hand Yam. According to the Guangji County Annals from the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, the yam was introduced during the Tang Dynasty’s Zhenguan era over 1,300 years ago. Cultivation expanded from Henggang Mountain to Taiping Mountain, covering both branches of the Dabie Mountains. Ancient Guangji was known as the "Land of Buddhism," with its former name reflecting the ideals of widely spreading Buddhist teachings and benefiting all beings. Legend says that during the Zhenguan era, the monk Xuanzang (secular name Jiang Zu) traveled from Siam (now Thailand) to Guangji, where he built the Dazang Temple. The monks there were the first to cultivate the yam, initially as a medicinal plant for strengthening the spleen, lungs, kidneys, and essence. Because it was grown in temples for medicinal use and resembled a human hand, it was called "Buddha’s Medicine." It was as renowned as the "Long Yao" (Dragon Medicine) from Longping—a once-famous medicinal herb now lost to time. Later, it spread to the public and gradually became a prized culinary ingredient. By the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen of Qichun discovered its similarity to common yam and coined the name "Buddha’s Hand Yam." He also reclassified it in ancient herbals from the "herb" section to the "vegetable" section. In the 1960s, influenced by the "grain-first" policy, cultivation and yields of Wuxue Buddha’s Hand Yam sharply declined. Recovery began after 1979, especially in recent years as the Wuxue municipal government prioritized its production as part of the "Wuxue Food Industry City" initiative. Support was given across production, processing, and sales, while collaborations with research institutions like Wuhan University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences led to new product development and brand creation. Rewards of 50,000 RMB per product were offered for certified pollution-free, green, and organic foods, greatly boosting the yam’s production and development.