Port Dawan Radish

Port Dawan Radish

　　Port Dawan Radish is a specialty of Dawan Village, Gangkou Town, Huidong County, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province. The Dawan radish has been the main produce of the Dawan people for over 200 years, with a cultivation history dating back to 1784. The radish is oblong in shape with a slightly tapered end, boasting a snow-white, glossy exterior and crystal-clear flesh. It is widely known for its sweet taste, refreshing texture, and absence of residue, earning fame far and wide. Before the liberation, it was exported to Hong Kong and enjoyed a stellar reputation.

　　Huidong radishes are mainly grown in the coastal sandy soils of Gangkou and Pinghai towns, as well as in areas such as Dawan, Caiyuan, Liuxiang, Xiantai, and Biji, and on the high hilly slopes of mountain valleys in Fuling Village. The renowned “Dawan Radish” from Gangkou Town has a history of over 200 years and enjoys international fame.

　　Radishes grown along the coast are known for their juicy, sweet, and smooth texture without residue; those cultivated on high hilly slopes are prized for their sweet taste and soft, smooth mouthfeel. Both types have health benefits such as moistening the lungs and skin, preventing dryness, quenching thirst, and promoting diuresis, making them highly popular among residents in Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, and the local community. As early as before the founding of New China, dedicated transport ships carried large quantities of radishes to markets in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, and Southeast Asia. From the 1960s to the mid-1980s—over a span of more than 30 years—Pinghai in Huidong was designated by the Guangdong provincial foreign trade authorities as a vegetable export base focused primarily on radish production, with annual radish exports exceeding one million tons. However, due to changes in the foreign trade export system and quota restrictions, radish production gradually declined. Even so, thanks to the particularly suitable soil, water quality, and climate for cultivation, no other region has yet produced radishes that can rival the taste of those from here. Today, many visiting tourists make sure to buy some radishes to take home.