Osmanthus in Xianning

Osmanthus in Xianning

　　In August, the fragrance of osmanthus fills the air. The history of osmanthus cultivation in Xianning District, Xianning City, Hubei Province, is extremely long, dating back several thousand years. Historical records indicate that over 2,300 years ago during the Warring States period, the poet Qu Yuan wrote the beautiful lines “I pour libations of osmanthus wine and peppered sauce” and “I ride my fragrant boat of osmanthus.” This shows that the osmanthus of Xianning has an ancient and enduring history.

　　Osmanthus belongs to the genus Osmanthus of the family Oleaceae and is an evergreen tree. With its graceful branches and thousands of golden-yellow blossoms that emit a far-reaching fragrance, osmanthus is one of China’s top ten famous flowers and has been beloved for thousands of years. Xianning District is the largest concentrated producer of osmanthus in the country. On November 4, 1985, the President of China visited Xianning and said, “Xianning’s osmanthus is very famous. It should be expanded and developed, and more products should be developed to enter the international market. Use osmanthus to beautify the environment and life.” The Xianning District Committee and government attach great importance to the development and utilization of osmanthus resources. A preliminary system for the development of osmanthus-related products has been formed, with main products including osmanthus wine, beverages, pastries, sugar-preserved osmanthus, osmanthus extract, infused liquor, and fragrances, all of which sell well in the market. The district currently has 6,000 acres of osmanthus seedling bases, with the annual output value of osmanthus processing and seedlings reaching 150 million yuan. Osmanthus is not only a valuable ornamental plant for gardens but also a precious raw material for the fragrance, food, pharmaceutical, and light industries. Especially, natural osmanthus fragrance products are in high demand on the international market, often in short supply and highly sought after. Developing osmanthus offers significant economic, social, and ecological benefits.

　　Xianning’s osmanthus ranks first in China in six aspects: planting area, number of varieties, number of ancient trees, osmanthus yield, osmanthus quality, and osmanthus seedlings. First, the district has over 1.2 million osmanthus trees, covering an area of 35,000 acres, making it the largest commercial osmanthus production base in the country. Second, it has the most varieties—32 in total, including 23 types of Golden Osmanthus, 2 types of Silver Osmanthus, 3 types of Orange Osmanthus, and 4 types of Four Seasons Osmanthus. Third, it has the highest yield—420,000 flowering and trial-flowering trees produce 500,000 kilograms of fresh osmanthus annually. Fourth, it has the best quality. In September 1985, national fragrance experts at a conference in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, recognized that Xianning osmanthus has large petals, thick flesh, and long-lasting fragrance, ranking first in quality nationwide. Fifth, it has the most ancient trees. According to statistics from the Osmanthus Branch of the China Flower Association, among the 2,200 ancient osmanthus trees over 100 years old in 15 provinces and cities across the country, 2,000 are in Xianning, with the oldest being 615 years old. Sixth, it has the most osmanthus seedlings. In 2004, 8 million osmanthus seedlings were produced, with over 4 million sold, exported to more than 10 countries and regions including Japan, the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia, and popular across more than 20 provinces and cities in China, especially in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and Guangdong.

　　Both China Central Television and People’s Daily have featured special reports, and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued a set of four osmanthus stamps here. In 2008, the National Forestry Administration officially named Xianning District the “Hometown of Osmanthus in China.” At the same time, Xianning is also known as the “Hometown of Nan Bamboo,” “Hometown of Ramie,” “Hometown of Tea,” and “Hometown of a Thousand Bridges.” The nan bamboo here is renowned across China for its height, sparse nodes, thick stems, and solid texture. The tea planted here has a long history, with famous varieties emerging continuously. The ramie here has long been a “famous product of China,” earning Xianning the title of “Hometown of Ramie.”

　　Xianning has significant geographical advantages, located in southeastern Hubei, and is an emerging tourist and industrial-trade city. It boasts convenient transportation, a complete water supply system, ample power energy, supporting service facilities, and a strong industrial foundation. The forest coverage rate in Xianning District, Xianning City, is as high as 54%. In recent years, the Xianning Municipal Party Committee and government, in the process of developing the distinctive agriculture of the “Four Towns and Six Industries,” have clarified a “two-pronged approach”—focusing on both resource development and resource protection—to promote the healthy growth of the osmanthus industry. Xianning features green mountains, clear waters, fragrant osmanthus, lush bamboo, unique caves, and warm springs, making it a prime destination for tourism, leisure, and vacation. Known as Green Xianning or Eco Xianning, it is hailed as the backyard garden of Wuhan.

　　“Rose fragrance, jasmine fragrance—none can compare to the fragrance of southern osmanthus,” and “Osmanthus blooms everywhere in August.” The rich osmanthus culture of the osmanthus town has nurtured a distinctive southern Hubei osmanthus culture. The area has over 1 million osmanthus trees, producing more than 400,000 pounds of flowers. There are over 200,000 osmanthus trees over 100 years old, including the approximately 604-year-old “Osmanthus King,” the oldest surviving osmanthus tree in Xianning. It stands an average of 29 meters tall, with a crown covering 154 square meters and the largest branch diameter measuring 48.7 centimeters. It remains lush and typically produces over 150 kilograms of flowers in a normal year.

　　Since the 1980s, cultivation techniques have become increasingly mature, and osmanthus processing has become traditional. The main production areas of osmanthus seedlings have vigorously promoted modern seedling techniques such as sealed osmanthus cuttings, significantly improving economic benefits and greatly boosting public enthusiasm. Since the launch of the Grain for Green Project in 2001, over 600 specialized households have cultivated seedlings on more than 200 acres each year, producing 20 million seedlings annually and developing nearly 10,000 new acres of osmanthus bases each year.

　　Faced with challenges to its title as the “Hometown of Osmanthus in China” from other regions, Xianning District is actively seeking new directions for the osmanthus industry to defend its hard-earned honor. Currently, the district’s draft of the “Hubei Xianning Osmanthus Industry Investment Promotion Brochure” is nearly finalized and will be widely promoted both domestically and internationally, with a focus on Shanghai, Zhejiang, and other areas, to attract investment and further expand and strengthen the osmanthus industry, ensuring the reputation of the “Hometown of Osmanthus in China” resonates both at home and abroad.