White-fleshed Lily

White-fleshed Lily

　　 Located in the remote mountainous area of Qingjiang Township, Lianzhou, the cultivation of white-fleshed lilies has a long history. Historical records indicate that during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1796–1820), an epidemic known as "heat wheezing disease" broke out in the rural areas of the region. Due to a lack of medical resources, sufferers had to rely on traditional remedies. Some locals tried brewing water with homegrown white-fleshed lilies, which surprisingly cured the patients. Since then, farmers in Qingjiang developed a strong interest in cultivating white-fleshed lilies. Every year, they would process the harvested lilies into dried slices to be soaked in sugar water or cooked into lily congee, forming a unique local lifestyle tradition.

    Qingjiang Township boasts large areas of clay-sandy sloping land with thick, moist, and fertile soil — ideal conditions for growing white-fleshed lilies. Through years of planting experience, local farmers have developed a comprehensive set of methods for cultivating, managing, and processing white-fleshed lilies. Lily is a perennial herbaceous plant, typically planted between “Great Heat” and “Autumn Equinox” each year and harvested the following “Great Heat.” Its fruit is the underground bulb. There are several varieties of lilies, but the main types are white-fleshed lily and dragon sprout lily, which can be either sweet or bitter in taste. Bitter lilies are mainly used for medicinal purposes, while sweet lilies are primarily for consumption. The specialty white-fleshed lily of Qingjiang has a sweet yet slightly bitter flavor, making it an excellent dual-purpose variety for both food and medicine.

    White-fleshed lilies are highly nutritious, typically containing about 3.7% protein, 3.9% sucrose, 0.3% fat, 5.1% pectin, and around 21.4% starch, along with minerals such as phosphorus and calcium, as well as crude fiber. The white-fleshed lilies from Qingjiang can be processed into dried lily slices, lily powder, lily essence powder, and even lily biscuits. The dried slices can also be used directly as traditional Chinese medicine, with benefits such as treating asthma, clearing heat toxins, moistening the lungs and relieving coughs, calming the mind, and helping to manage high blood pressure.

    Farmers in Qingjiang have made white-fleshed lilies a flagship product, gradually expanding cultivation acreage and significantly increasing economic returns. Today, Qingjiang white-fleshed lilies are exported to various Southeast Asian countries, while their main domestic markets include Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and the Hong Kong and Macau regions.