Xuwen Pearls

Xuwen Pearls

　　Xuwen Pearls are saltwater pearls with a long history and excellent quality. As early as the ancient Maritime Silk Road, they were already an important trade commodity. Also known as Nan Zhen (Southern Pearls), Xuwen's saltwater pearls are produced by the Pinctada maxima oyster. Thanks to the unique geographical environment of the Beibu Gulf, these Southern Pearls are round, delicate, and richly colored. Xuwen’s Southern Pearls are celebrated worldwide for their large size, round shape, and captivating luster, earning them the reputation as a national treasure. Moreover, the international jewelry industry has long upheld the saying, “Western pearls are not as good as Eastern pearls, and Eastern pearls are not as good as Southern pearls.”

　　The most large-scale cultivation of saltwater pearls in Xuwen is found in Xilian Town. The locals began pearl farming as early as the early 1960s, giving it a long history. In this town, about 20,000 people across nine village committees—including Dajing, Beihai, Longyan, Dayiwan, and Long’er—are engaged in the pearl farming industry, covering an area of over 20,000 mu. The annual income from pearl farming alone reaches 300 million yuan, accounting for half of the town’s economy.

　　Pearls produced in Xuwen are notably large, round, and top-grade, especially those from Dajing Village in Xuwen, which are the most famous. Currently, Dajing has 6,800 mu dedicated to pearl farming, yielding nearly five tons of saltwater pearls per year.

　　The main methods of pearl farming in Dajing are sea-cage cultivation and elevated pond cultivation. Sea-cage cultivation involves hanging oysters from posts in the open sea, while elevated pond cultivation means building ponds on the beach and using floating ropes to suspend the oysters in the water—this method is easier to manage than sea-cage farming.

　　The primary source of income for Dajing Village comes from saltwater pearl farming.