Dragon King Tribute Chives

Dragon King Tribute Chives

Dragon King Tribute Chives are a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　“Dragon King Tribute Chives” are produced in Longwang Town, Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu City. The administrative region includes nine villages and one community: Shuangnian Village, Muchitai Village, Liangwan Village, Qingping Village, Hongshu Village, Qingguang Village, Sanfang Village, Qingjie Village, Tianpingyan Village, and the Longwang Community. The production area lies between longitude 104°15′00″ and 104°18′45″, and latitude 30°45′00″ and 30°47′30″, at an altitude of 482 to 498 meters, covering a total area of 29.5 square kilometers. The cultivation history of these chives dates back to the early Qing Dynasty. Thanks to their unique qualities—“vibrant color, dry and tender texture, smooth and delicate flesh, and rich aroma”—they have been highly favored by consumers. Legend has it that during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Xianfeng was so impressed after tasting them that he designated the chives from Longwang as a tribute vegetable for the imperial court, earning them the prestigious title of “Tribute Chives.”

　　Dragon King Tribute Chives are pale golden in color, dry yet tender, plump and full in shape, glossy and shiny, elastic, and firm yet crisp. They show no signs of wilting, softness, yellowing, withering, damage, pests, diseases, or rot.

　　Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic Historical Factors

　　(1) Soil and Topography: The area features three types of landforms—low mountains, gentle hills, and plains—with plains and gentle hills being predominant. It falls within the Dujiangyan gravity irrigation zone. The soil pH ranges between 6.5 and 7.5, allowing for good drainage and irrigation. About 90% of the soil consists of loam or clay loam, creating unique growing conditions for Dragon King Tribute Chives (whereas most other regions suitable for growing chives typically have sandy soil).

　　(2) Hydrology: The area is home to three major rivers—the Qingbai River, Pi River, and Xi River—as well as numerous reservoirs with a total capacity of 800,000 cubic meters, enabling gravity-fed irrigation for farmland. Groundwater reserves are abundant, with soft water quality that maintains a constant temperature of around 16°C year-round. The water is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. The combination of water conservancy infrastructure, natural water systems, and high-quality groundwater resources provides favorable conditions for the production of Dragon King Tribute Chives and the formation of their distinctive qualities.

　　(3) Climate: The production area of Dragon King Tribute Chives has an inland subtropical humid monsoon climate, characterized by mild temperatures, distinct seasons, abundant rainfall, and a long frost-free period. The average annual temperature is 16.2°C, with the hottest month (July) averaging 25.6°C and the coldest month (January) averaging 5.4°C. The annual accumulated temperature is 5,932°C, the frost-free period lasts 273 to 279 days, the average annual rainfall is 925.4 mm, the average annual sunshine duration is 1,239.1 hours, and the relative humidity is 82.6%. These conditions are ideal for growing a wide variety of crops, and Dragon King Tribute Chives are typically sown in spring and autumn.

　　(4) Humanistic and Historical Background: Dragon King Tribute Chives are a unique variety of chive shoots produced in Longwang Town, Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu. Renowned for their “short sheaths, long leaves, dry and tender texture, rich aroma, and high nutritional value,” they were selected as a tribute product during the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty and served in the imperial court. Emperor Xianfeng was so impressed after tasting them that they were designated as a royal tribute vegetable, hence earning the name “Dragon King Tribute Chives.” A poem describes them as: “The world has none like the Dragon King Tribute Chives, their color like golden-yellow, stretching over three feet.” The history of chive shoot cultivation in Longwang Town dates back to the early Qing Dynasty. As recorded in the *Guangzhi*: “Tender chives grow one foot long, originating from Shu and Han.” Folklore also includes many verses praising the Dragon King Tribute Chives: “The finest chives are found in Longwang, their petals like frozen cream draped in jade. Upon biting, their tenderness melts effortlessly—they grace festive tables every year.” “Why do tribute chives earn such fame? They float unspoiled in boiling broth. Emerging bright yellow, unchanged in hue, they nourish the body—wisdom passed down through gold.” “A furrowed ridge builds a hidden boudoir, where golden ridges cradle beauty’s embryo. Grown into the emperor’s favorite, the Dragon King chives leave behind a legacy.” Such praise speaks volumes about the reputation of Dragon King Tribute Chives.

　　Owing to their unique qualities, Dragon King Tribute Chives have won widespread consumer acclaim. They were awarded the Gold Award at the First Chengdu (International) Agricultural Expo and earned the title of one of the “Top 30 Charming Agricultural Products of Sichuan” in 2007. By the end of 2008, the Longyan brand…

　　Dragon King Tribute Chives were shortlisted as candidates for the second “Sichuan Famous Brand Agricultural Products” list. In November 2008, during the large-scale commemorative event “Cheers to Tianfu Agriculture”—a grand celebration marking 30 years of rural reform and opening-up in Sichuan, organized by the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee’s Agriculture Office and the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government Press Office—Dragon King Tribute Chives were nominated for the “Tianfu Ten Treasures” list and ranked third in public voting. In recent years, with the development of Chengdu’s urban-rural integration pilot zone and efforts to advance modern agriculture through specialized and branded agricultural practices, the region has adopted a “six unifications” operational model: unified land planning, unified procurement of fertilizers and pesticides, unified sales pricing, unified trademarks and barcodes, unified packaging and brand promotion, and unified establishment of direct sales outlets in wholesale markets and large supermarkets. This approach guides farmers in transitioning from traditional to modern agriculture. While increasing technological investment and preserving local varieties like Erwuye, Longwang Town has also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Pingdingshan Chive Shoot Research Institute in Henan Province, introducing four new varieties: Pingjiu No. 4, Pingfeng No. 6, Pingfeng No. 8, and SaSong. Through cultivation trials, high-quality, high-yield, and efficient chive shoot varieties best suited for Longwang Town were selected as primary and complementary strains. Qingbaijiang District has achieved comprehensive advancement in pollution-free agricultural production areas, and Dragon King Tribute Chives have obtained pollution-free agricultural product certification. The product sells well in multiple provinces and cities, including Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Hubei, and Shanghai, with promising sales prospects and vast market potential. Plans are underway to develop a 1,440-hectare Dragon King Tribute Chives specialty industry belt and promote chive shoot banquets to extend the industry chain.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Dragon King Tribute Chives are produced in Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, originating south of the Pi River (a tributary of the Min River) in the gentle hilly area of the Longquan Mountain Range, adjacent to Longquanyi District and Xindu District. The production area lies between longitude 104°15′00″ and 104°18′45″, and latitude 30°45′00″ and 30°47′30″, at an altitude of 482 to 498 meters, covering a total area of 29.5 square kilometers. The region includes nine villages and one community in Longwang Town, Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu: Shuangnian Village, Muchitai Village, Liangwan Village, Qingping Village, Hongshu Village, Qingguang Village, Sanfang Village, Qingjie Village, Tianpingyan Village, and the Longwang Community.