Guanyang Snow Pear

Guanyang Snow Pear

Guanyang Snow Pear is a product with geographical indication.

　　Guanyang Snow Pear is an outstanding variety of southern pears in China and a renowned specialty fruit of Guanyang County, Guangxi. It is large in size, high in quality, beautifully shaped, with thin skin, tender flesh, abundant juice, rich flavor, sweet and delicious taste, crisp and easy to separate from the core, small core, and high edible rate. It gets its name from the snow-white and tender flesh.

　　Guanyang Snow Pear blooms in early March and ripens in August. It is large in size, high in quality, beautifully shaped, with thin skin, tender flesh, abundant juice, rich flavor, sweet and delicious taste, crisp and easy to separate from the core, small core, and high edible rate. Tests show that its soluble solids content reaches 13.6%, and its inorganic salts have benefits such as nourishing the lungs, resolving phlegm, relieving cough, and clearing heat and toxins, making it highly favored by people. As early as the 1950s and 1960s, Guanyang Snow Pear was a bestseller in Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia. In the 1980s, experts identified it as one of the highest-quality sand pears in the country. Between 1991 and 1993, it was re-evaluated by experts from the regional fruit office, Guangxi Agricultural University, the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Department of Agriculture, and the Citrus Research Institute, who named it the highest-quality sand pear variety in Guangxi.

　　The planting area of Guanyang Snow Pear has expanded to 22,000 mu, with 15,000 mu currently bearing fruit, and annual production exceeding 10,000 tons. Through technical improvements, Guanyang County has also developed premium varieties such as Guanyang Snow Pear No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, and has pioneered cultivation techniques like flower bud grafting, dwarfing, dense planting, and early high-yield farming. The goal is to expand the planting area to 30,000 mu and achieve an annual output of over 30,000 tons by 2005.

　　The Legend of Guanyang Snow Pear

　　Guanyang Snow Pear is one of the traditional fruits of Guanyang County, with over 300 years of cultivation history in the region. Legend has it that Xia Jiamin, a local who served as a prefect in Zhejiang’s Ningbo, introduced the pear to the area. Its name was even bestowed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. The snow pear became a tribute to Emperor Qianlong due to its snow-white flesh, beautiful shape, and delicious, sweet taste. According to the Guanyang County Annals, legend says that long ago, Xia Jiamin from Changping Village in Guanyang served as a prefect in Ningbo. When he returned to Guanyang, a close friend gave him two saplings called "Yang Haizi" as a keepsake. After returning home, Xia planted the saplings in his garden. One harsh winter, one sapling died from the freezing cold, but Xia personally tended to the surviving one despite the snow. When spring came, the sapling sprouted green leaves, delighting Xia. One day, after returning from an outing, two of his white horses suddenly died, and he had them buried next to the Yang Haizi tree in the garden. The following spring, the tree grew tall and lush, bearing fruit. When the fruit ripened, he tried one and found it incredibly sweet. From then on, he treasured the fruit, serving it only to honored guests. One year, when Emperor Qianlong toured the south and visited Guangxi, local officials presented their finest tributes. Remembering his time as an imperial official, Xia Jiamin selected a few Yang Haizi fruits to offer as a gesture of respect. Emperor Qianlong, intrigued by the unfamiliar fruit, tasted it and found it exquisite. He asked where it came from, and was told it was sent by Xia Jiamin, a former imperial official from Guanyang, Guangxi. When asked the fruit’s name, the reply was “Yang Haizi.” Frowning, the emperor remarked, “Yang Haizi is not a pleasant name. Give it a better one.” Officials huddled to discuss, and one suggested, “Your Majesty, this fruit comes from faraway Guanyang, showing the loyalty of the people. ‘Li’ (pear) sounds like ‘Li’ (people), so let’s call it pear.” The emperor nodded but said nothing. Another official timidly proposed, “Your Majesty, this fruit has snow-white, tender flesh—let’s call it Snow Pear.” Delighted, the emperor declared, “Excellent. Let’s call it Guanyang Snow Pear.” Since then, farmers in the region planted many snow pear trees, passing them down through generations. Today, Guanyang Snow Pear is a famous southern fruit sold domestically and abroad.

　　1 Geographical Scope

　　The geographical scope includes nine towns in Guanyang County: Guanyang Town, Huangguan Town, Xinjie Township, Xinxu Township, Shuiche Township, Wenshi Town, Guanyinge Township, Dongjing Township, and Xishan Township. The main producing areas are Guanyang Town, Huangguan Town, Wenshi Town, and Xinjie Township. Guanyang County is located in northeastern Guangxi, between 110°43′16″–111°20′13″ east longitude and 25°10′32″–25°45′37″ north latitude, at elevations of 180–2009 meters. It borders two provinces and connects three counties: to the east with Dao County and Jiangyong County of Hunan Province, to the west with Xing’an County and Lingchuan County, to the south with Gongcheng County, and to the north with Quanzhou County. It features the Dupang Mountains to the east and the Haiyang Mountains to the west, forming a willow-leaf shape. The county stretches 90 km from north to south and 39 km from east to west, characterized by karst landforms. The total area is 1,838 square kilometers (183,799 hectares).

　　2 Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic Historical Factors

　　(1) Topography and Geology: The earliest strata in Guanyang County originated in the Early Cambrian period, primarily composed of Devonian sedimentary deposits. The Yanshan Movement formed the Dupang and Haiyang Mountains, creating the foundational topography of the region. The area features complex geological structures composed of granite, sand shale, sandstone, shale, purple sand (shale), limestone, diluvium, and Quaternary red soil. The terrain is mainly mid-level mountains, hills, and valley landforms. The lowest elevation is 180 meters, and the highest is 2009 meters. The Guanjiang River runs from south to north through the county. The region is picturesque, with overlapping mountains and complex terrains, classified as karst landforms. It is generally divided into “eight parts mountain, one part arable land, half water, and half villages.”

　　(2) Soil Conditions: The soil parent materials in the pear-growing regions mainly include diluvium, alluvium, limestone, sand shale, and purple rock. The pH ranges from 5.5–6.5, with organic matter content between 2–3%. The soil is deep, with active layers over 50 cm, and groundwater levels below 1 meter. The soil texture is primarily loam and clay loam, with some sandy loam. Young orchards are fertilized with about 3,000 kg of green manure per mu annually, resulting in well-structured, fertile, porous, and moisture-retentive soil with strong nutrient retention—ideal for snow pear growth.

　　(3) Hydrology: The county has abundant water resources, distributed in a feather-like pattern. The Guanjiang River is the main waterway, flowing into the Xiang River and belonging to the Yangtze River system. Within the county, the Guanjiang River stretches 119 km, nourished by the “green reservoir” formed by the vast forest vegetation of Guanyinge, Dongjing, Xishan, and Huangguan. Its catchment area covers 1,769.24 square km (96.3% of the county’s total), with an average annual runoff of 24.66 billion cubic meters and a flow rate of 73.2 cubic meters per second. Farmland receives 805 cubic meters of water per mu. The county has 23 primary and secondary streams. Annual precipitation totals 3.1 billion cubic meters, with a runoff depth of 1,207.8 cubic meters. External inflows from neighboring counties cover 160.79 square km (8%). Groundwater is unpolluted, making it ideal for industrial, agricultural, and domestic use.

　　(4) Climate: Guanyang County has a mid-subtropical monsoon climate, characterized by mild temperatures, abundant rainfall, ample sunlight, and distinct seasons. Winters are short, summers long, and dry and wet seasons clearly defined. There are no extreme highs or lows throughout the year. The average annual temperature is 17.9°C, with a minimum of –1.6°C and a maximum extreme high of 39°C, and an extreme low of –5.8°C. The accumulated temperature above 10°C is 5,384.5°C, with an effective accumulated temperature of 3,031°C, and an average frost-free period of 286 days. Annual rainfall averages 1,538.4 mm, with 1,416.3 hours of sunlight (31% sunshine rate) and 78% relative humidity, classifying it as a humid or semi-humid region. Humidity peaks from March to June (often over 84%) and drops in October (minimum average 76%). The climate is highly favorable for snow pear growth, light, and temperature synchronization, significantly benefiting yield and quality.

　　(5) Humanistic History: Located in northeastern Guangxi, Guanyang is an agricultural, commercial, and tourism hub. It boasts lush forests, scenic landscapes, and cultural heritage sites such as Wulong Pixue, Longgang Yongxiu, Bai Ting Bieyi, Wang Lou Wan Du, Ling Yan Qiu Yue, San Feng Yan Yu, and Zi Zhu Sao Tai. Guanyang Snow Pear has been cultivated for over 300 years. Historical records from the Kangxi-era Guanyang County Annals mention “several pear varieties, with Snow Pear being the finest,” indicating its cultivation during the Kangxi period. Later annals also document its presence. By the Republic of China era, it was praised as comparable to Tianjin Snow Pears. Though historically recorded, official yield data first appeared in 1910 (2nd year of the Xuantong reign), with 1,200 dan (72 tons) produced—making Guanyang the sole snow pear-producing county in the Guilin region. By 1933, production reached 574 tons, valued at 84,100 yuan. Due to its quality, it was exported to Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia in the early 20th century. The 1959 *Guangxi Fruit Varieties* ranked it first in the region. The 1984 *Chinese Fruit Cultivation* textbook described it as a superior sand pear variety. By the 1980s, experts recognized it as one of China’s finest, dubbing it the “King of Pears.” From 1988–1992, elite tree selection occurred, and in the 21st century, techniques like branch spreading, fruit thinning, and pest control improved yields and quality. Adaptable and long-yielding, with a sales window from August to October, the pears are beloved for their unique health benefits, selling across China and abroad. In 2005, it earned “Guangxi Famous Product” status, followed by pollution-free certifications. By 2007, cultivation reached 2,000 hectares, yielding 35,100 tons—becoming a key rural industry and income source.

　　Guanyang Snow Pear was first planted in Changping Village, Hongqi Township (now Guanyang Town), later spreading to nearby Dasen, Xiufeng, and Wenshi Town’s Daxi, as well as Xinjie Township’s Jiangkou. Today, the highest-quality pears grow in Mizhushan and Zhuan Chong of Dasen Village. Ancient pear trees over 120 years old still thrive in Fenghuang Mountain (Zhu’anchong, Dasen) and Yijia Tun (Changping), testifying to the region’s long pear-growing heritage.