Anshun Yam

Anshun Yam

Anshun Yam is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Yams have a long cultivation history in Anshun. Their tubers are rich in protein, amino acids, vitamins, starch, and other nutrients. They are known to strengthen the spleen, consolidate essence, nourish the lungs and kidneys, and serve as an effective food-medicine dual-use plant for treating diabetes.

　　Yam, also known as Dioscorea, belongs to the Dioscoreaceae family and is a perennial herbaceous vine that thrives in warm conditions but is not cold-resistant. It is consumed for its enlarged tuberous or cylindrical roots. The tubers begin to sprout at temperatures above 10°C, with optimal stem and leaf growth occurring at 25–28°C and fastest tuber expansion at 20–24°C. Its rootstock is short and stout, with upright roots that are thick and fleshy, shaped like a cylindrical club, reaching up to 1 meter in length and 2–7 cm in diameter. The outer skin is gray-brown with many fine roots, and the texture is brittle with a white, sticky cross-section. The stems are slender, usually purplish in color, with ridges, smooth and hairless. The leaves are opposite or grow in whorls of three, and axillary bulbils—commonly called “yam beans”—often develop. The leaf shape varies, often triangular-ovate or broadly triangular-ovate, measuring 3.5–7 cm in length. The plant flowers from June to August, with small yellow-green flowers that are dioecious and borne in spike-like inflorescences; male inflorescences are upright while female ones droop, and the flowers are off-white. The seeds are flattened and round with broad wings.

　　Anshun Yam is cylindrical in shape, typically 10–20 cm in length and 1–3 cm in diameter. Its surface is smooth and white, with both ends being flat. The texture is firm, the cross-section is white and starchy, with a granular appearance and no woody fibrous tissue. It is a variant of the common yam (garden yam). Applying certain cultivation techniques can help improve yam yield.

　　Geographical Area

　　Xixiu District was formerly the county-level city of Anshun. In August 2000, the county-level Anshun City was abolished and Xixiu District was established. The Anshun Prefecture was renamed Anshun City, and Xixiu District came under the jurisdiction of Anshun City. Located in central-western Guizhou Province, Xixiu District lies on the eastern part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the western edge of the Miao Mountains, on the watershed between the Yangtze River and Pearl River systems. Its geographic coordinates are longitude 105°44′32″ to 106°21′58″ and latitude 25°56′30″ to 26°24′42″. It borders Pingba and Changshun counties to the east, Ziyun Miao and Buyei Autonomous County to the south, Puding County to the north, and Zhenning Buyei and Miao Autonomous County to the west. About 90 kilometers from Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province, Xixiu District is the seat of the prefecture-level city of Anshun and serves as the city’s political, economic, technological, and cultural center. It is home to over 800,000 residents of Han, Miao, Buyei, Hui, and Gelao ethnicities. The district covers a total area of 1,546 square kilometers, with 416,500 mu of arable land. Elevations range from 1,102 to 1,695 meters, with the maximum relative height difference being 592.7 meters. The forested area spans 1,575.32 million mu, with a forest coverage rate of 25.58%. Anshun Yam is cultivated across seventeen towns (offices) within Xixiu District’s jurisdiction, including Liuguan Township, Dongtun Township, Yangwu Township, Xinchang Township, Jichang Township, Yanla Township, Huangla Township, Jiuzhou Town, Shuangbao Town, Daxiqiao Town, Qiyanqiao Town, Cai’guan Town, Jiaozi Mountain Town, Longgong Town, Ninggu Town, Dongguan Office, and Huaxi Office. The total planting area of yam is 15,000 mu, with an annual output exceeding 30,000 tons.