Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium

Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium

Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium is a product protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) scheme.

　　Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium is a specialty of Hejiang County, Luzhou City, Sichuan Province.

　　Located in the southern part of Sichuan Province, Hejiang County is the only county bordering Chongqing among all counties and districts adjacent to Chongqing that possesses both the golden waterway of the Yangtze River and is integrated into Chongqing’s “one-hour economic circle.” It is also the hometown of Golden Hair Dendrobium.

　　According to ancient medical classics such as "Shennong's Materia Medica," "Compendium of Materia Medica," and "Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians," Dendrobium is ranked first among the nine immortal herbs and is believed to have life-restoring properties. Modern medicine shows that components in Dendrobium, such as dendrobine, possess anti-cancer effects. Also according to the aforementioned ancient sources, Golden Hair Dendrobium originates from Hejiang. Sichuan-grown Dendrobium, especially Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium, enjoys a high reputation both domestically and internationally. Before the liberation, Hejiang County had two specialized Dendrobium trading markets, making it a distribution hub for Dendrobium products. Since ancient times, the local people of Hejiang have had the tradition of cultivating Golden Hair Dendrobium and have developed certain planting techniques and experience.

　　As one of China’s renowned authentic production regions of Golden Hair Dendrobium, Hejiang had already widely cultivated Dendrobium during the Ming Dynasty, establishing itself as a traditional production area. By the time of the Republic of China, its production scale was already considerable, hence its resource development possesses exemplary protective and developmental value. The "Hejiang County Annals" state: "Wooden Dendrobium (Golden Hair Dendrobium) treats beriberi and is produced in various southwestern regions." The "Luzhou Science and Technology Annals" (1993 edition) note: "Hejiang is famous throughout the province and the country for its abundant production of Dendrobium, lychee, Buddha’s hand fruit, and Chinese olive." According to incomplete statistics, before the 1960s, Sichuan produced a rich abundance of Dendrobium, ranking among the top in the nation, particularly Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium, which was of premium quality and capable of meeting domestic, even international, market demands. According to data from the Hejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Company: before the liberation, there were already two professional Dendrobium trading markets in Hejiang. In 1953 alone, over 20 dan (1 dan = 50 kg) of dried Dendrobium were purchased, equivalent to over 100 tons of fresh Dendrobium. Hejiang Dendrobium was transported along the Yangtze River to major cities across the country and exported as far as Southeast Asia.

　　Sichuan has rich wild Dendrobium resources, with many counties, cities, and districts having wild distributions. Hejiang County has preserved well-maintained primary broadleaf forests, rare at the same latitude globally, which has allowed wild Golden Hair Dendrobium to survive. At the same time, local Dendrobium cultivation started early, forming a solid foundation among the populace. Through years of accumulated efforts, areas such as Xiantan and Fubaohave trained a large number of skilled and highly motivated medicinal herb farmers, providing human resources and technical support for the development of Dendrobium cultivation.

　　Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium has gained considerable national recognition. Judging from current market trends, it can be summarized with three words: "rising" (prices keep climbing), "smooth" (sales channels are unobstructed, with little inventory buildup), and "scarce" (stockouts often occur). This shows that there is significant market potential and promising prospects for developing Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium production.

　　Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium has excellent quality characteristics. The fresh product features a round-tipped rhizome that is slightly swollen; the lower stem is cylindrical, becoming flattened from the middle upward, with an obtuse tip; sometimes the whole plant is slender, nearly cylindrical or not obviously flattened; the leaf sheath is grayish-white and membranous; it has a raceme inflorescence with 1–4 white flowers tinged with light purplish-red; the color ranges from light gray-green, green to yellowish-green. The dried product mostly appears as multi-curved or curved strips, without root tips or leaf sheaths; it has longitudinal ridges and wrinkles; the color is yellow. Compared to the nearby Chishui Golden Hair Dendrobium, Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium contains significantly higher levels of dendrobine (≥0.50% in Hejiang vs. 0.30%–0.50% in Chishui). This is another major characteristic of Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium.

　　In recent years, as societal demand for Dendrobium products has surged, their economic value has become increasingly evident. The planting scale of Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium has also been continuously expanded.

　　In early 2015, with the support of relevant higher authorities, the People’s Government of Hejiang County established the Office for Applying for Geographical Indication Product Protection of “Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium,” officially launching the application process and taking a major step toward brand development. This work is of great significance for reshaping the brand status of “Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium,” promoting the development of Hejiang’s distinctive agriculture, and increasing farmers’ income and prosperity.

　　Author: Chen Wen, Zheng Bo, Wen Zhengyi

　　Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium

　　Mountain forest areas above 300 meters in elevation within the territories of Hejiang Town, Mixi Township, Yaoba Town, Xianshi Town, Fawang Temple Town, Jiuzhi Town, Wutong Town, Chehuang Town, Shilu Town, Fengming Town, Hutou Town, Rongshan Town, Rongyou Township, Bailu Town, Ganyu Town, Nantan Town, Shilong Town, Xiantan Town, Zihuai Town, and Fubao Town, Hejiang County, Luzhou City, Sichuan Province

　　“Letter from the People’s Government of Hejiang County on Defining the Scope of the Geographical Indication Product Protection of Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium,” HeFu Han [2015] No. 70

　　Sichuan (Regional) Local Standard: DB510522/T003-2015 "Technical Specifications for Planting and Processing of Hejiang Golden Hair Dendrobium"

　　Information Source: General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the PRC

　　Information Source: General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the PRC