Xinglong Hawthorn

Xinglong Hawthorn

Xinglong hawthorn is a geographical indication protected product.

Xinglong hawthorn is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Xinglong County, located in northern Hebei at the foot of the ancient Great Wall, is renowned as China’s famous hawthorn hometown.

　　Xinglong hawthorn is a specialty of Xinglong County in Chengde City, Hebei Province. Known throughout the country for its vigorous trees, superior quality, brightly colored fruits, excellent storability, high nutritional and medicinal value, and suitability for processing, Xinglong hawthorn has been awarded the National Geographical Indication Certification Trademark.

　　Xinglong County has a long history of hawthorn cultivation. As early as the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing era, Xinglong hawthorn was regarded as a tribute and delicacy. Thanks to its unique natural and cultural environment, today in Xinglong, hawthorn trees over a hundred years old remain lush and bear abundant fruit. The county currently has 150,000 acres of hawthorn orchards with 8.31 million trees, yielding a yearly output of 180,000 tons. Both the cultivation area and annual yield rank first among all counties in China, earning it the title “Hometown of Hawthorn in China” from the State Forestry Administration.

　　Hawthorn trees thrive in regions with an average annual temperature between 4.7°C and 16°C, with the optimal range being around 10°C. Most towns in Xinglong County fall within this ideal cultivation zone. The area’s high altitude and significant diurnal temperature variations promote the accumulation of dry matter, increasing the sugar content of the hawthorn and improving the sugar-to-acid ratio. As a result, the taste of hawthorn from higher altitudes is sweeter compared to that from lower areas, greatly enhancing its palatability.

　　Xinglong hawthorn blooms in May and bears fruit from August to October. The fruits are sweet and tangy. Here, hawthorn is famed for its vigorous trees, superior quality, brightly colored fruits, excellent storability, high nutritional and medicinal value, and suitability for processing. Many enterprises in Xinglong County process hawthorn into juice, syrup, cakes, jam, preserves, and more. Xinglong’s hawthorn and its products have been rated as provincial-quality goods for several consecutive years, sold to over 20 provinces and cities across China, and exported to more than ten countries and regions including Japan, the United States, South Korea, Singapore, Russia, and Hong Kong.

　　In 2013, the “Xinglong Hawthorn” trademark was recognized by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce as a China National Geographical Indication Certification Trademark.

　　The production area of Xinglong hawthorn (Xinglong red dates) includes the following current administrative regions in Xinglong County, Chengde City, Hebei Province: Xinglong Town, Nantianmen Township, Banbishan Town, Gushanzi Town, Baguailing Township, Gualan Yu Town, Qingsongling Town, Douziyu Township, Liudaoh River Town, Shangshidong Township, Wuling Mountain Township, Ping’anbao Town, Beiyingfang Town, Lijiaoying Township, Dazhangzi Township, Muguyu Township, Sandaohe Township, Lanqiyi ng Town, and Anziling Township.