Pingle Sweet Pomelo

Pingle Sweet Pomelo

　　The sweet pomelo from Pingle County has long been renowned for its high yield and superior quality. As early as the early 1960s, Pingle was designated as a key production base county for Shatian pomelo within the autonomous region. The pomelos produced here are golden in color, with smooth and glossy rinds, and feature large, prominent "money prints" at the base. Typically weighing between 1 to 1.5 kilograms, the largest can reach up to 3.5 kilograms. Pingle sweet pomelos are characterized by their thin skin, thick flesh, few seeds, abundant juice, sweet taste, and crisp texture. According to analysis by the Guangxi Citrus Research Institute, the edible portion of Pingle sweet pomelo constitutes 48.29% of the whole fruit, with juice making up 43.7% of the total weight. It contains 15.1% soluble solids, vitamin C at 125.6 mg per 100 ml, citric acid at 0.3436%, and sugar content at 12.11%. The sugar-to-acid ratio is 37.38:1. Annual production is generally around 4 million fruits, accounting for about one-quarter of Guangxi’s total output. Since 1980, outstanding individual trees have been selected annually to participate in the region's pomelo competitions. From 1983 to 1985, Pingle’s entries won first place in the Guangxi pomelo competition for three consecutive years. In 1983, they took the top six spots, and in 1985, all of the top twelve positions were secured by Pingle.

　　In 1983, a national citrus fruit quality competition was held in Shanghai, where four outstanding Pingle sweet pomelo cultivars swept the top four pomelo rankings and were awarded the Certificate of Quality Product by the Ministry of Foreign Trade of the People’s Republic of China that same year. In 1989, Pingle sweet pomelo received the Golden Cup Award from the Ministry of Agriculture. In November 1990, at the first National Pomelo Variety Competition held in Yuhuan, Zhejiang, Pingle sweet pomelo claimed first place. It has thus earned the reputation as the "Hometown of Sweet Pomelo."

　　Pingle has a history of over 300 years in cultivating sweet pomelos. Large-scale production began in the early Republican era. Before liberation, the county had over 1,000 acres of pomelo plantations, yielding approximately 300 tons. After liberation, from the 1950s to the early 1960s, although the planting area did not expand significantly, improved management increased annual output from around 300 tons to more than 1,400 tons. By the early 1970s, the industry grew rapidly, with the 1973 planting area being over three times larger than at liberation. However, during the “Learn from Dazhai in Agriculture” campaign, the focus shifted to grain production, leading to the clearing of forests and orchards for farmland, and the felling of many productive pomelo trees. By 1976, the pomelo area had dropped to just 34.62% of the 1973 level. After 1981, stronger leadership and technical guidance, coupled with rising purchase prices, greatly motivated farmers. The county expanded its pomelo plantings at an average rate of 15,000 trees per year. By 1987, there were over 300,000 pomelo trees, including 100,000 bearing trees, covering 15,000 acres and producing 4,000 tons—making Pingle the largest and most productive sweet pomelo county in Guangxi. In 1990, the planted area reached 16,376 acres, with total output rising to 5,137 tons, and exports of 2,000 tons, reflecting increases of 9.13%, 28.43%, respectively, compared to 1987.

　　Sweet pomelos are grown throughout the county, but are especially concentrated along the banks of the Gui River, Chajiang River, and Rongjiang River in seven towns (townships): Shazi, Ertang, Fuxing, Fujicheng, Changtan, Daba, and Zhangjia. In Zhangjiazhacun Village of Changtan Township, there are 320 bearing pomelo trees yielding 42,000 fruits in 1987—an average of 131 fruits per tree, 2.63 tons per acre, and a total value of 55,000 yuan. The Xu Kunzhi family in Wangjiaping Village of the same township harvested 3,600 fruits from 25 trees in 1988, averaging 144 fruits per tree and earning 6,800 yuan from pomelos alone. Sweet pomelos bear fruit quickly—typically within four or five years—and can live for over a century. He Zhixing, a villager from Anquan Village in Shazi Town, harvested 849 fruits from a 95-year-old pomelo tree in 1987, earning 1,700 yuan.

　　Sweet pomelos have a wide range of uses. Their peel can be made into preserves or used in delicious dishes, as well as in traditional medicine for expectorant, anti-cough, asthma-relief, qi-regulating, and digestion-aiding effects. The juice can be processed into beverages. Pomelo leaves and flowers can be used to extract fragrances. Pomelo wood is premium material for high-end furniture. The fruit is rich in vitamins, and regular consumption can promote bone and muscle growth and improve blood circulation.

　　With a relatively thick rind, sweet pomelos are highly resistant to storage and transport, typically lasting seven to eight months, earning them the nickname "natural canned fruit." This characteristic plays a significant economic role in regulating off-season supply, extending the availability of fresh fruit, and expanding domestic and international markets.

　　Pingle sweet pomelos were exported to Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia as early as the early days after liberation, with 121 tons shipped in 1958. In recent years, they have been exported as far as the United States and Canada. Annual exports range from 1.3 to 1.5 million fruits. In 1985, 686 tons were exported, generating foreign exchange earnings of 655,000 USD; in 1987, exports increased to 1,612.62 tons, accounting for one-quarter of Guangxi’s export volume and ranking first among all counties in the region. Overseas Chinese commonly use sweet pomelos as decorative items in homes, referring to them as "big oranges," meaning large citrus fruits, and also playing on the homophonic auspicious meaning of "big luck." Additionally, because the fruit resembles a “precious gourd” with “money” at the base, it is considered an auspicious item in the eyes of overseas Chinese. During holidays, families display pomelos in their homes as symbols of good fortune and celebration. Especially on Mid-Autumn Festival, people are willing to pay high prices to buy them as offerings for moon appreciation, enjoying them as part of the festivity.