Mangosteen from Baoting

Mangosteen from Baoting

　　Mangosteen from Baoting is a specialty of Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County in Hainan Province. Baoting is an important base for cultivating southern medicinal herbs in China and the only place in the country capable of developing tropical exotic fruits such as rambutan and mangosteen on a large scale. The People’s Government of Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County signed a science and technology cooperation agreement with the Provincial Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, planning to spend five years planting 3,000 mu (approximately 200 hectares) of mangosteen in the county.

　　Mangosteen, originally known as Mangosteen garcinia, is native to Southeast Asia. It generally takes about 10 years to bear fruit and has very strict environmental requirements, making it a truly green and precious fruit. The fruit is spherical, similar in size to a persimmon, with a flat, round shape and a thick, hard, deep purple shell topped by four sepals, resembling a persimmon. The white flesh is tender, smooth, sweet, and of high quality, with a delicate fragrance that is refreshing and smooth without being greasy. It is as renowned as durian and hailed as the “Queen of Tropical Fruits.”

　　Mangosteen flesh contains 16.8% soluble solids, 0.63% citric acid, as well as other vitamins including B1, B2, C, and minerals. It has heat-reducing and cooling properties, making it not only delicious but also effective in reducing internal heat and counteracting the "heatiness" of durian. In Thailand, durian and mangosteen are regarded as the “king and queen of fruits.” Additionally, mangosteen is rich in protein and fats, providing excellent nourishment for the body and offering beneficial effects for those who are weak, malnourished, or recovering from illness.

　　The Agriculture Bureau of Baoting County and relevant officials from the Provincial Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences jointly signed a framework agreement for science and technology counterpart assistance cooperation and an agreement on the supply of mangosteen seedlings and technical services. According to the agreements, the two parties will carry out scientific and technological cooperation based on the principles of “complementary advantages, mutual benefit, and common development,” establishing bases for the introduction, breeding, demonstration, and promotion of new varieties and technologies to drive agricultural science and technology development in the county. Leveraging the Academy’s advantages in mangosteen seedling cultivation, demonstration bases, cultivation techniques, and professional technical personnel, the project aims to promote mangosteen cultivation in Baoting. The goal is to develop 3,000 mu of mangosteen plantations across the county within five years.