Tiane Shatian Pomelo

Tiane Shatian Pomelo

　　Tiane Shatian Pomelo is a premium local specialty of Tiane County, Guangxi.

　　 The Shatian pomelo is one of the most famous fruits in Guangxi. It was first cultivated over two hundred years ago in Shatian Village, Rong County, Guangxi, hence the name. When ripe, Guangxi Shatian pomelos turn a bright yellow with a distinctive coin-like ring at the base, commonly referred to as the “money mark.” Each fruit has a short neck at the top and a large, round bottom, weighing between one to three pounds. The bottom bears a coin-shaped mark, and the rind is glossy yellow. The flesh is sweet, juicy, crisp, and refreshing—making it an excellent fruit for autumn and winter. Thanks to its thick peel, it is easy to transport over long distances and can be stored for extended periods without spoiling, earning it the reputation of being a “natural can.” The peel can be used as a vegetable or made into preserves, offering benefits such as reducing phlegm and soothing coughs.

　　Shatian pomelos are not only highly nutritious but also offer various health benefits, including improving digestion, nourishing the lungs, enriching blood, cleansing the intestines, and promoting bowel movements. They can aid in wound healing and provide good supplementary treatment for conditions like septicemia. Additionally, because pomelos contain the bioactive compound naringin, they can help reduce blood viscosity and minimize the formation of blood clots, thus playing a preventive role against cerebrovascular diseases such as cerebral thrombosis and stroke. The fresh flesh of the pomelo contains insulin-like components, making it an ideal fruit for people with diabetes. Traditional Chinese medicine also believes that pomelos, with their sweet and sour flavor and cool nature, help regulate qi, dissolve phlegm, nourish lungs, cleanse intestines, enrich blood, and strengthen the spleen. They can treat symptoms such as poor appetite, bland taste, and indigestion, while aiding digestion, relieving phlegm and thirst, and resolving stagnation.

　　Shatian pomelos have earned the reputations of being a “natural can” and a “fruit delicacy.” As one of Guangxi’s traditional export fruits, Shatian pomelos were exported to Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas as early as the 1930s, demonstrating strong competitiveness in the international market. The cultivation of Shatian pomelos has since expanded to regions along the Xunjiang, Longjiang, Guijiang, Lijiang, and Hongshui rivers in Guangxi, and has also been introduced to Guangdong, Hunan, Sichuan, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi. Currently, Guangxi has become China’s largest concentrated production area for Shatian pomelos, with hundreds of thousands of mu of pomelo plantations across the autonomous region.

　　In recent years, Tiane County in Guangxi has made full use of its resource advantages—mountainous terrain and fertile soil—to boost fruit production, particularly on the hills. With guidance from the local government, Tiane County has actively implemented high-quality fruit projects, prioritizing the development of the Shatian pomelo industry. At present, the county has planted 5,826 mu of Shatian pomelos, with 3,846 mu bearing fruit, yielding 3,896 tons and generating an output value of 7.79 million yuan. This has increased the average income of fruit-growing households by 600 yuan. Several large-scale Shatian pomelo orchards covering over 500 mu each have been established, including those in Liumei, Longlin, Yunbang, Linduo, and Feibo, forming a Shatian pomelo planting belt along both banks of the Hongshui River. The region has also cultivated the Longtan Shatian Pomelo, a pollution-free agricultural product that ripens in mid-to-late November and has won the “Golden Cup Award for the 7th National Pomelo Quality Competition.”