Xiniu Ma Bamboo Shoots

Xiniu Ma Bamboo Shoots

Xiniu Ma Bamboo Shoots are a protected geographical indication product.

　　“Xiniu Ma Bamboo Shoots,” also known as “Yingde Ma Bamboo Shoots,” are a specialty of Yingde City in Guangdong Province. Named after Xiniu Town, where they are primarily produced, they are a recognized Chinese geographical indication product. These bamboo shoots are prized for their tender texture, refreshing taste, and rich bamboo flavor, earning them the reputation as a delicacy among mountain treasures. Ma bamboo shoots are rich in crude fiber and various vitamins such as A, B2, B6, and C. They are a naturally unpolluted high-quality food, and eating more helps digestion, reduces stagnation, and contributes to longevity. Xiniu Ma Bamboo Shoots products mainly include ready-to-eat series and dried shoot series. The ready-to-eat series is made from premium ma bamboo shoots using modern processing techniques, featuring products such as crispy shoots, jade shoots, and phoenix-tail young shoots. The dried series includes shoot flowers, shoot tips, shoot skins, and raw shoot strips, all traditionally processed by folk methods, making them excellent condiments for delicious dishes. The products are exported to countries and regions including Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and Taiwan. Xiniu Town is an intensive production and processing base for ma bamboo shoots. In 2005, it was awarded the title “Hometown of Chinese Ma Bamboo Shoots” by the China Economic Forestry Association and “High-Quality Edible Bamboo Shoot Base Township of China” by the organizing committee of the China Fruit and Vegetable Industry Development Forum.

　　Ma bamboo shoots have a long cultivation history in Yingde City, with documented records dating back to the Qing Dynasty. Between 1821 and 1850 (during the Daoguang reign of the Qing), there were records about Yingde ma bamboo shoots describing “ma bamboo that grows several zhang tall, with some trunks as thick as a foot, mostly multi-branched and clustered with branches, and leaves as large as shoe soles.” In 1921 (the 10th year of the Republic of China), the “Guangdong Rural Overview Survey Report” mentioned Yingde County, noting in the forest section that “apart from pine forests, the fourth district mainly harvested bamboo for shoots and drying.” The mentioned fourth district refers to the area around Xiniu Town. “Xiniu Dried Bamboo Shoots” won the Special Prize at the “Second Guangdong Provincial Agricultural Products Exhibition” held from March 1 to 7, 1922. Historically, dried shoots produced in Xiniu and Shaba were abundant and of high quality. After 1949, “Xiniu Ma Bamboo Shoots” gradually developed, especially accelerating after the 1980s. Over the years, the county’s commercial and supply departments purchased and exported dried shoots. By the early 21st century, more than ten scaled enterprises had been established, forming a local industrial chain for the production and sale of ma bamboo, ma bamboo shoots, and ma bamboo leaves. Xiniu Ma Bamboo Shoots became an emerging industry helping farmers strive toward prosperity. With rural system reforms and local government promotion, the planting area of ma bamboo shoots in Yingde City continued to expand, and yields increased. By 1986, the planting area of ma bamboo shoots reached over 60,000 mu. After the 1986 Guangdong Provincial Mountainous Area Economic Work Conference, Yingde City further guided mountain residents to prioritize ma bamboo shoots as a key crop due to their easy management, short production cycle, and evident economic benefits. Meanwhile, the rising prices of bamboo shoot products and the establishment of fresh shoot processing factories also boosted local enthusiasm for growing ma bamboo shoots. This led to rapid expansion of ma bamboo shoot cultivation in towns surrounding Xiniu Town, with major towns such as Dadong, Jiulong, Shihui Pu, Hengchong, Lianjiangkou, Lixi, and Yingcheng also cultivating ma bamboo shoots as a main cash crop. Ma bamboo shoots became a fast track to wealth in Yingde’s rural areas, earning the nickname “peeled gold.” After years of promotion, the development of ma bamboo shoots in Yingde City accelerated significantly. By 2010, the planting area had reached 450,000 mu, with a 50% adoption rate of improved varieties. Fresh shoot production hit 315,000 tons (gross weight), dried shoot production reached 12,600 tons, and the total output value was 203 million yuan. Farmers in the main production areas earned an average annual income of 1,250 yuan from bamboo shoots, accounting for 41% of their total annual income. Yingde became the largest ma bamboo shoot planting base in Guangdong Province and even across China. In 2005, it was awarded the title “Hometown of Chinese Ma Bamboo Shoots” by the China Economic Forestry Association and “High-Quality Edible Bamboo Shoot Base Township of China” by the organizing committee of the China Fruit and Vegetable Industry Development Forum. Xiniu Town has more than ten scaled enterprises, forming a local industrial chain for the production and sale of ma bamboo, ma bamboo shoots, and ma bamboo leaves. The development of Xiniu Ma Bamboo Shoots has effectively boosted the rural economy and created conditions for the prosperity of farmers in Yingde. Currently, there are several operational shoot processing factories in Xiniu Town, including Julong, Zhenxing, Xuxiang, and Xinle, with an annual processing capacity of over 30,000 tons of shoot products. Major brands include “Hongda” from Julong Agricultural Products Processing Factory and “Qiaokou” from Zhenxing Agricultural Products Processing Factory. The products are exported to Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and Taiwan.

　　Protection Scope

　　The protection scope of the Xiniu Ma Bamboo Shoots geographical indication product is based on the range proposed in the “Letter on Delimiting the Production Area of Xiniu Ma Bamboo Shoots” (Yingfu Han [2007] No. 24) issued by Yingde City, Guangdong Province. It covers low hilly slopes within Yingde City, Guangdong Province, spanning longitude 112°45′ to 113°55.1′ and latitude 23°50′ to 24°33′.