Pingxiang Stone Turtle

Pingxiang Stone Turtle

　　Pingxiang Stone Turtle is a specialty of Pingxiang in Chongzuo, Guangxi.

　　Pingxiang is located on the southern frontier of China, bordering Ningming to the east, Longzhou to the north, and Vietnam to the southwest, with a border line stretching 97 kilometers. The area features karst topography, with picturesque landscapes of verdant mountains and rolling ridges. Entirely situated south of the Tropic of Cancer, Pingxiang enjoys abundant heat and plentiful rainfall, with an average annual temperature between 20.5–21°C, free from severe cold in winter and extreme heat in summer. The unique geographical environment of Pingxiang has produced rich and high-quality turtle resources since ancient times. According to the Pingxiang City Annals, over 20 species of naturally breeding turtles and tortoises are found in the area, including the Cuora trifasciata (Golden Coin Turtle), Pingxiang Stone Turtle, Vietnamese Pond Turtle, Cuora galbinifrons (Yellow-headed Box Turtle), Pyxidea mouhotii (Keeled Box Turtle), Cyclemys dentata (Asian Leaf Turtle), and Cuora sinensis (Chinese Flowerback Turtle). In May 1985, the Pingxiang Distillery developed “Red-edged Turtle Longevity Wine” using the locally prized Red-edged Turtle (Golden Coin Turtle) as the main ingredient along with other medicinal herbs. The product was exported both domestically and internationally. In February 1990, Zhou Jiufa, founder of China’s first turtle and tortoise museum, discovered a new turtle species in Pingxiang, Guangxi. This species was identified and named the Zhou’s Box Turtle by Academician Zhao Ermi from the Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In February 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture of China officially approved the Pingxiang Stone Turtle as a National Agricultural Product Geographical Indication, marking a significant milestone in the development of Pingxiang’s turtle industry.

　　Region:

　　Guangxi

　　Applicant:

　　Pingxiang Aquatic Technology Extension Station

　　Region:

　　2014

　　Geographical Scope

　　The registered protection area covers all towns in Pingxiang City, Guangxi, including: Pingxiang Town, Youyi Town, Shangshi Town, and Xiashi Town. The geographical coordinates are: 106°45′30″ to 107°48′00″ east longitude, 22°06′30″ to 22°16′00″ north latitude. Total area: 650.32 km². Cultivation area: 1,500 hectares (350,000 turtles), with an annual yield of 40 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　4.1 External Quality Characteristics The skin on the top of the Pingxiang Stone Turtle is olive-yellowish brown or dark brown, dotted with sesame-like black spots. The iris is black, with black spots on the cornea on both sides of the iris forming a distinct black line, commonly referred to as the “eye line.” The carapace is brown, brownish, or black in color, raised with three keels—the central ridge being prominent while the lateral ridges are weaker—with a black line extending from the nuchal shield along the central ridge to the supracaudal shield. The plastron has a light yellow base, with the gular shield featuring an inverted “V” black pattern, commonly called the “rice character” base. The humeral to anal shields each have a pair of symmetrical ink-stained patches that form two clear curved black lines on the plastron. The bridge has large ink-stained patches, with axillary and inguinal shields at the front and rear of the bridge respectively, all bearing ink stains aligned along the same arc as those on the bridge. 4.2 Internal Quality Characteristics Pingxiang Stone Turtle soup is delicious and fragrant. The meat has low fat content but is rich in protein, containing a variety of essential amino acids for humans, especially higher levels of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, lysine, leucine, and arginine. It also boasts a rich variety of trace elements, particularly higher levels of calcium, iron, and zinc. Testing shows that every 100g of fresh meat contains 17.86–20.58g of protein, 1.92–3.45g of fat, 15.97–18.60g of total amino acids, and 15.68–21.42mg of calcium. Each kilogram of fresh meat contains 22.90–32.66mg of iron, 34.68–42.11mg of zinc, and 0.15–0.28mg of selenium. 4.3 Safety Requirements The production process strictly complies with the standards set forth in the Fisheries Water Quality Standard (GB11607), the Non-polluting Freshwater Aquaculture Water Quality (NY5051-2001), and the Non-polluting Turtle and Tortoise Products (NY5066-2006).