Huangkeng Tribute Citrus

Huangkeng Tribute Citrus

　　Tribute Citrus, also known as Emperor Citrus, is a natural hybrid of oranges and mandarins. Known as the “Famous Fruit of China” and the “King of Chinese Citrus,” it holds significant economic value.

　　Huangkeng Town is located in the southeastern part of Renhua County, approximately 15 kilometers from the county seat. It was historically under the administration of Qujiang County. Starting in 2003, it was placed under the jurisdiction of Renhua County together with Zhoutian and Daqiao towns, which were also formerly part of Qujiang. The total area of the town is 16,699 hectares.

　　Huangkeng Tribute Citrus is produced in Huangkeng Town, Renhua County. Since its introduction, the variety has been continuously improved to gradually adapt to the local climate, developing into a unique cultivar specific to Huangkeng. In 2006, it was awarded the “Shaoguan Science and Technology Progress Award.” Due to its promising market potential and strong support from the local government, it has been widely promoted among farmers. In 2012, the first “Tribute Citrus Culture Festival” was held in Huangkeng Town. The town is now the largest high-quality Tribute Citrus planting and production base in Shaoguan. Currently, the total planting area of Tribute Citrus in the town exceeds 12,000 mu, involving over 1,600 farming households. There are more than 100 bases with plantings over 100 mu each, forming a citrus belt that encircles the entire town.

　　Huangkeng Tribute Citrus features an attractive fruit shape, golden-yellow color, thin peel, few seeds, crisp and juicy flesh, sweet honey-like flavor, and rich taste. It combines the visual appeal of oranges with the delicate texture and easy peeling of mandarins—qualities that are hard to match in other citrus varieties, earning it the title of “King of Citrus.” Each fruit weighs between 110 and 150 grams, with a clean and smooth surface. It is one of the few outstanding varieties today with high sugar content and low acidity. It is also highly nutritious and beneficial to health, containing abundant organic fructose, sterile water, various vitamins, organic acids, trace elements, and minerals.

　　Huangkeng Tribute Citrus has won the “Shaoguan Science and Technology Progress Award” in both 2006 and 2009, as well as the “Guangdong Provincial Tangerine Silver Award” in 2008. Currently, there are two main enterprises producing Huangkeng Tribute Citrus: the Renhua County Huangkeng Town Citrus Farmers’ Professional Cooperative and the Renhua County Huangkeng Town Xiaoxi Citrus Farmers’ Professional Cooperative. The Xiaoxi cooperative was established in 2010 as a privately owned enterprise primarily dealing with Huangkeng citrus fruits. Its goal is to provide citrus growers with planting techniques and sales services. It has been recognized as a County-Level Agricultural Leading Enterprise in 2013, a Municipal-Level Model Farmers’ Professional Cooperative in 2014, and a Provincial-Level Model Unit in 2015. The Huangkeng Town Citrus Farmers’ Professional Cooperative was founded in 2008 and has received the “Guangdong Provincial Tangerine Silver Award” in 2008 and the “Shaoguan Science and Technology Progress Award” in 2009. It registered the “Huangkeng Tribute” brand trademark in 2012.