Qilipo Hawthorn

Qilipo Hawthorn

Qilipo hawthorn is a Geographical Indication Agricultural Product.

　　Qilipo hawthorn is distributed along the foothills of the Jiwang Mountain in Guojiazhuang Town, Wenxi County. The protected area spans from 110°59′33″ to 111°37′29″ east longitude and from 35°09′38″ to 35°34′11″ north latitude, covering nine administrative villages: Qilipo, Xiàqīlipo, Duīhòu, Zhāngfán, Tàipíngzhuāng, Shéhújiàn, Shíjiàn, Shíchuān, and Wángjiāzhuāng. It was certified as a Geographical Indication Agricultural Product in 2013, with a certified area of 1,730 hectares and an annual production of 70,000 tons. Qilipo hawthorn fruits are large, brightly colored, tender, sweet and tangy, and highly nutritious. Each 100 grams of fresh hawthorn flesh contains 7.27–11.69g of soluble sugar, 1.5–3.66g of total acid, 0.23–1.01g of protein, and 37.4–129.43mg of vitamin C. It is also rich in trace elements such as calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus, as well as the anti-cancer element selenium. Hawthorn is considered an excellent delicacy in both food and medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that it has effects such as eliminating food stagnation, strengthening the stomach, regulating qi flow, nourishing the spleen, promoting blood circulation, and dispersing blood stasis. It has shown clear efficacy in preventing and treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Hawthorn can also be processed into products like hawthorn cake, hawthorn slices, hawthorn wine, hawthorn canned goods, and candied hawthorn skewers, making it a product with high economic value.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The protected geographic area of Qilipo hawthorn is located along the foothills of the Jiwang Mountain in Guojiazhuang Town, Wenxi County, in the southern part of Shanxi Province. It includes nine administrative villages: Qilipo, Duīhòu, Xiàqīlipo, Zhāngfán, Tàipíngzhuāng, Shéhújiàn, Shíjiàn, Xīchuān, and Wángjiāzhuāng. The geographical coordinates are: 110°59′33″ to 111°37′29″ east longitude and 35°9′38″ to 35°34′11″ north latitude. The area stretches 15 kilometers from north to south and 10 kilometers from east to west, with a protected scale of 1,730 hectares and an annual production of 10,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: The fruit is relatively large, with a diameter of up to 2.5 cm or more. It has a round shape, a ruby-red color, an excellent taste, moderate sweetness and acidity, and a unique flavor. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: The hawthorn fruit is rich in nutrients, containing carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and essential minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and iron, especially high levels of iron, calcium, vitamin C, carotene, and riboflavin. Additionally, it has strong medicinal value, providing benefits such as stimulating appetite and improving digestion, promoting blood circulation, reducing inflammation and coughing, detoxifying, and stopping bleeding. 3. Safety Requirements: These are based on the industry standards for pollution-free deciduous stone fruits NY5112-2005, the environmental conditions for pollution-free forest and fruit products NY5013-2006, as well as relevant standards and requirements including GB4285 Pesticide Safe Use Guidelines and GB/T8321 Guidelines for the Rational Use of Pesticides.