Cinnamon from Guangxi

Cinnamon from Guangxi

Cinnamon from Guangxi is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Also known as cassia bark, Chinese cinnamon, or simply cassia, it is an evergreen subtropical tree of the Lauraceae family and one of the “Three Treasures” among Guangxi’s aromatic medicinal plants in the subtropics. The bark, branches, and leaves of the cinnamon tree have a wide range of uses. They can be used for medicinal purposes, as flavoring agents, and for extracting cinnamon oil. Finished products include: cinnamon bark, cinnamon quills, cinnamon buds, cinnamon chips, cinnamon fragments, and cinnamon oil. Areas such as Fangcheng District and Shangsi County generally produce over 2 million kilograms of cinnamon bark annually, with peak production reaching up to 3.5 million kilograms. Cinnamon bark is a traditional export commodity that has been shipped to Europe for many years and enjoys an excellent reputation in the international market.

　　“Cinnamon from Guangxi” is a specialty of the southern subtropical region of Guangxi Province in China. It is a national geographical indication product. The area’s unique natural environmental conditions, long cultivation history, traditional farming techniques, and processing methods give Guangxi cinnamon its characteristic thick bark, glossy color, high oil content, spicy and slightly pungent flavor, and its excellence both as a medicinal and flavoring agent. Cinnamomum cassia Presl, belonging to the genus Cinnamomum of the Lauraceae family, is a subtropical economic tree species known for its fast growth, quick returns, and high economic value. Cinnamon bark and leaves can be harvested for oil distillation just 5–6 years after planting. Both cinnamon bark and oil are traditional Chinese export commodities.

　　Historical records indicate that cinnamon was cultivated artificially as early as the Qin and Han dynasties. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the People’s Government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region listed the development of subtropical fruit and economic tree advantages as part of the “Well-off Project,” with cinnamon identified as a key focus. Counties and cities in southeastern and southwestern Guangxi suitable for cinnamon cultivation launched planned and systematic efforts to develop large-scale cinnamon plantations, marking a new chapter in Guangxi’s cinnamon production. This led to the emergence of villages, towns, and counties producing cinnamon on thousands or even tens of thousands of acres, showcasing a new pattern of contiguous development, afforestation, and the establishment of large-scale production bases. According to statistics from relevant departments, in the late 1980s, Guangxi’s cinnamon forest covered only about 500,000 acres, but by 1996 the total area had reached 1.76 million acres—an increase of more than threefold in sixty years. By 2000, the area under cinnamon cultivation in Guangxi had surpassed 2 million acres, exceeding 2.5 million acres. Counties and cities with 300,000–400,000 acres of cinnamon plantation included Pingnan, Fangcheng, Cenxi, and Tengxian; those with over 200,000 acres included Rongxian and Cangwu; and those with over 100,000 acres included Shangsi County. Guangxi has built the largest cinnamon production base in China, yielding over 30,000 tons of cinnamon bark and approximately 1,000 tons of cinnamon oil annually. Its cultivation area and cinnamon bark output account for over 50% of the national total. Cinnamon bark exports and processed cinnamon oil exports each represent over 60% of the national total.

　　In 2008, after review by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, it was decided to implement national geographical indication product protection for Cinnamon from Guangxi.

　　Protected Area

　　The protected geographical indication area for Cinnamon from Guangxi is defined according to the scope proposed in the “Letter from the People’s Government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Regarding the Delimitation of the Production Area Scope for Geographical Indication Products of Star Anise and Cinnamon in Guangxi” (Gui Zheng Han [2006] No. 7). This includes all townships in the five counties (cities, districts) of Fangcheng District, Pingnan County, Cangwu County, Cenxi City, and Tengxian County in Fangchenggang City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; the three towns of Dongxing Town, Malu Town, and Jiangping Town in Dongxing City; Naping Township in Shangsi County; the nine townships and forest farms of Youma Town, Luoxiu Town, Mazhong Town, Luobo Township, Mugen Town, Zhongsha Town, Zhonghe Town, Shilong Town, and Jin Tian Forest Farm in Guiping City; the eight townships of Gupao Town, Wujiang Town, Fuluo Town, Muge Township, Majiang Town, Fuyu Township, Biji Township, and Zouma Township in Zhaoping County; the two towns of Changzhou Town and Xiayong Town in Die Shan District, Wuzhou City; the two towns of Chentang Town and Huangcun Town in Mengshan County; Chengjun Town in Fumian District, Yulin City; Langping Township; the seven townships of Shili Township, Xiandi Town, Ziliang Town, Langshui Township, Songshan Town, Luojiang Town, and Shitou Town in Rongxian County; the four towns of Liuma Town, Pingzheng Town, Liuqing Town, and Longsheng Town in Beiliu City; the two towns of Chenghuang Town and Beishi Town in Xingye County; and the four townships including Luchuan Forest Farm in Luchuan County, covering a total of 44 township-level administrative regions.