Wen Shui Grapes

Wen Shui Grapes

　　Wen Shui Grapes

　　As early as the Tang and Song dynasties, Wen Shui County was renowned for its grape production. The grapes are abundantly grown in villages such as Fangyuan, Yier, Wuwu, Xicheng, and Yadi (Old Yadi). There are several varieties, including red, white, long, and round. In particular, the “Pinger” and “Rose” varieties, known for their thin skins, tender flesh, and sweet flavor, are famous both within and outside the province. The 1883 (the ninth year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty) “Wen Shui County Annals” recorded that raisins made from fresh grapes in villages such as Fangyuan—smoked using traditional methods—were listed as tribute items. “The main tribute consisted of three large boxes, each containing three smaller boxes, with each box holding ten hu, all wrapped in yellow silk and sent to the capital. In addition to the main tribute, there was also a secondary tribute sent to the provincial capital, a practice that had been in place for a long time.” Before the July 7th Incident, just the village of Fangyuan alone had 48 smoking workshops, producing over 50,000 kilograms of raisins annually, which were sold as far as Tianjin, Beijing, and the northeastern provinces. Grape production in Wen Shui ranked first in Shanxi Province.

　　Starting from the 1970s, and especially after the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, villages such as Yier, Wucun, and Xiejiazhai began establishing orchards and planting grapes. By 1985, contiguous grape vineyards had expanded to over 1,400 mu, with an annual grape yield of more than 200,000 kilograms. Varieties included Kyoho, Longan, Black Heart, Red Heart, White Feather, and Longbao.