Jasmine from Hengxian

Jasmine from Hengxian

Jasmine from Hengxian is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Jasmine from Hengxian has a long history, believed to date back six or seven hundred years. Among the local people of Hengxian, there has been a beautiful legend about the Jasmine Fairy passed down through generations, but documented records truly began in the Ming Dynasty.

　　Jasmine from Hengxian is renowned for its early blooming season, long flowering period, large flower buds, high yield, excellent quality, and strong fragrance. The planting area of jasmine in Hengxian reaches 100,000 mu, involving around 330,000 flower farmers, with an annual fresh flower production of 80,000 tons, generating annual sales revenue of 700 million yuan, accounting for 11% of the total agricultural output value of Hengxian. Currently, there is a high-standard comprehensive ecological demonstration park integrating production, research, and exhibition — the China Jasmine Park. There are 150 jasmine tea processing enterprises, processing 60,000 tons of jasmine tea annually, with a production value of 2 billion yuan. The total output value of jasmine tea reaches 2.7 billion yuan. Both the jasmine yield and the total amount of jasmine tea processing account for over 80% of the national total and more than 60% of the global total. Hengxian has become the world’s largest base for both jasmine production and jasmine tea processing. Between 5,000 to 6,000 tea merchants from other regions operate in Hengxian year-round. In June 2000, Hengxian was officially named the “Hometown of Chinese Jasmine” by the State Forestry Administration and the China Flower Association. In April 2006, Hengxian was awarded the Geographical Indication Certification Trademark for “Hengxian Jasmine Tea” by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. In the same year, “Hengxian Jasmine” was approved as a Protected Geographical Indication Product by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

　　The market infrastructure in Hengxian has reached a certain scale, including 8 major jasmine flower trading markets, the Southwest Tea City — the fourth largest tea market in China — and the newly built China Jasmine Tea Trading Market. It encompasses a jasmine flower trading market, a tea (tea base) trading market, and a finished tea trading market, linking over 100,000 mu of jasmine flowers and more than 150 jasmine tea processing factories, strongly driving the development of the jasmine industry.

　　Among the jasmine tea processing enterprises, 10 have annual sales exceeding 10 million yuan, and 12 have annual sales between 5 million and 10 million yuan. In terms of deep processing, there is 1 enterprise producing jasmine essential oil, 2 producing jasmine concrete, and 5 producing dried jasmine. Currently, 9 jasmine tea processing enterprises have been recognized as “National Excellent Jasmine Tea Processing Enterprises.” Four enterprises — Guangxi Jinhua Tea Industry Co., Ltd., Juyang Tea Industry Co., Ltd., Shunlai Tea Industry Co., Ltd., and Nanhua Tea Factory — have been awarded the title of “Nanning Leading Enterprise.”

　　Since 2000, Hengxian has held the National Jasmine Tea Trade Fair and the China (Hengxian) Jasmine Culture Festival every year. In October 2011, it was rated as the most influential festival by the China Society for Anthropology and Ethnology, the International Festivals and Events Association, and the Organizing Committee of the China Ethnic Festivals Summit.

　　Now, Hengxian in Guangxi has become China’s largest base for both jasmine production and jasmine tea processing. Jasmine tea scented with jasmine from Hengxian is not only popular in the domestic market, but is also exported in large quantities to countries and regions such as Thailand and the United States.