Meiwang Tangerine

Meiwang Tangerine

　　Meiwang Tangerine is a specialty of Meijia Bay Village, Qianfo Town, Jingyan County, Leshan City, Sichuan Province. Commonly known as Meiwang Citrus, it is a renowned fruit product of Jingyan. The tangerine is oblong-conical in shape, with a bright orange-yellow rind that exudes a rich, aromatic fragrance. Its top is slightly raised, and the core is full. The segments are ear-shaped, with white, tender, sweet, and fragrant flesh.

　　The tangerine is also known as "Wendan" and commonly referred to as "Meijia Bay Citrus." During the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong era, Lei Lun, a native who served as an official in the Qing court's "Military Affairs Department transferred to the Ministry of Revenue as the Seal Holder," was dispatched to Taiwan on imperial orders. His accompanying physician, Mei, brought back three tangerine saplings from Taiwan. After more than 240 years of cultivation and propagation in Meijia Bay, Qianfo, the trees have spread throughout the county.

　　Each Meiwang Tangerine weighs around 1–2 kilograms. It is oblong-conical in shape, with a bright orange-yellow rind, a rich and aromatic fragrance, and a slightly raised top. The core is full, the segments are ear-shaped, and the white, tender flesh is sweet, fragrant, and delicious. Rich in various vitamins essential for the human body, it has the highest sweetness and vitamin C content among all citrus varieties in the province, making it a top health fruit. Not only is the tangerine durable for storage—lasting up to half a year—it also fills rooms with a pleasant fragrance when placed indoors, earning it the title of "natural canned fruit." It also helps relieve coughs, soothe the lungs, cleanse the intestines, reduce internal heat, and nourish yin. It can be made into preserves or used as an ingredient in premium dishes. Additionally, its peel can be used to produce medicine for cancer chemotherapy. The tangerine ripens in mid-November.

　　In 2007, the Meijia Bay Village Tangerine Professional Cooperative was established. Experts were hired to provide technical guidance to tangerine farmers and help establish sales channels. Currently, over 400 tangerine farming households have joined the cooperative. Meijia Bay tangerines are now sold to cities such as Chengdu and Chongqing through the cooperative. In 2010, the city-organized "farmers-to-supermarkets" initiative brought tangible benefits to the people of Meijia Bay. The cooperative registered the "Meiwang" trademark, standardized packaging, printed high-quality promotional materials, produced TV advertisements, and aired them on over 3,000 public buses along Chengdu’s main traffic routes. The product was also introduced to Chengdu’s Hongqi Chain Supermarket, where it was sold at 9 yuan each. Today, the Meijia Bay Village Tangerine Professional Cooperative has earned three prestigious titles: pollution-free food certification, registered trademark, and geographical indication protection.