Nanzhou Ginkgo

Nanzhou Ginkgo

　　 Nanzhou ginkgo enjoys a great reputation across Southeast Asia. When used in cooking, it offers a savory, tender, sweet, and refreshing taste that is light and elegant, along with the benefits of stimulating the appetite, strengthening the spleen, and being highly nutritious. The traditional folk delicacy "Ginkgo Jade Cup" not only satisfies the taste buds but also fulfills health aspirations.

 　Nanzhou ginkgo is renowned for its high yield, thin and clean white shells, aromatic and tasty flesh, and seed kernels without a central pit. It enjoys a high reputation both domestically and internationally. Especially in Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia, shops often display signs reading “Nanzhou Ginkgo” to indicate the authenticity of their ginkgo products.

　　The ginkgo tree is a relict plant that survived in mainland China after the glaciers of the Quaternary period and is currently the most economically valuable, beneficial, rare, and unique fruit tree in the world. It is a treasure in every part—its fruit, besides being edible, has very high medicinal value. Containing various amino acids, ginkgolides, and flavonoid glycosides, it offers therapeutic effects such as clearing heat and toxins, removing dampness and promoting urination, strengthening the waist and enhancing vitality, and can help prevent diseases such as hypertension and coronary heart disease. Its leaves and roots are important raw materials for beverages, medicines, and cosmetics. Currently, ginkgo tea processed and produced by the Nanzhou Ginkgo Company is highly popular among consumers. Its stems are considered premium material for making high-end speakers, pianos, and furniture due to their excellent wood quality, fine grain, and resistance to decay and insects.

　　Nanzhou is the southernmost city in China where ginkgo is produced. Ginkgo trees have distinct male and female trees, which are dioecious and require pollination to bear fruit. In the past, it generally took 20–25 years from planting ginkgo saplings to fruiting. Since 1988, Nanzhou City has applied grafting techniques in ginkgo cultivation, enabling trees to bloom and bear fruit in just 6 to 7 years, significantly shortening the production cycle. The city currently has 2,700 acres of ginkgo trees in production, yielding 810 tons of fruit annually, with total income of 32.4 million yuan and an average income of 9,000 yuan per acre. Many farmers in Pingtian Town have lifted themselves out of poverty and become prosperous by growing ginkgo trees. For example, a farmer named Ye Lusheng from the town, who planted only five ginkgo trees, earned over 23,800 yuan from ginkgo fruit last year, averaging more than 4,760 yuan per tree. In recent years, Nanzhou City has made great efforts to develop the “ginkgo industry,” successively establishing 100,000-acre ginkgo bases in villages such as Shililing in Dengfang Town and Zhugoukeng in Zhutian Town. Once completed, these ginkgo bases will further accelerate the rural economic development of Nanzhou City and rapidly enrich the mountainous communities.