Jiuzhaigou Sweet Cherries

Jiuzhaigou Sweet Cherries

　　Jiuzhaigou sweet cherries are a specialty of Jiuzhaigou County in Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province. These sweet cherries boast vibrant, crystal-clear colors, a delicious taste, and are rich in nutrients. Their protein content ranks among the highest of all fruits.

　　Sweet cherries, short for European sweet cherries, are also known as big cherries or Western cherries. They are much larger than Chinese cherries and are one of the earliest maturing deciduous fruit trees in northern China, often referred to as the “first branch of spring fruit.” The fruit is strikingly colorful, translucent, and delicious, packed with abundant nutrients. It has one of the highest protein contents among all fruits and three times the vitamin content of apples and pears. Sweet cherries also offer medicinal benefits, helping to regulate blood circulation, soothe the liver, and reduce internal heat. They promote the regeneration of hemoglobin, making them somewhat therapeutic for anemia sufferers and an ideal fruit for pregnant women. They are hailed as a “treasure among fruits.” Sweet cherries are considered “precious” not only because of their high economic value, but also due to their strict requirements for temperature, temperature variation, sunlight, and air humidity, which limit their cultivation to a very small range.

　　Over the years, the sweet cherry industry has become one of the pillar agricultural sectors in Jiuzhaigou County. According to reports, in 2011, Jiuzhaigou County produced 250 tons of sweet cherries, generating 9 million yuan in output value. To continuously increase the income of farmers and herders and expand the cultivation of this signature sweet cherry across the entire county, Jiuzhaigou County planted an additional 1,620 acres of sweet cherries in 2012. As of now, the total cultivated area has reached over 5,000 acres.