Dejiang Gastrodia Elata

Dejiang Gastrodia Elata

Dejiang Gastrodia Elata is a protected geographical indication product.

Dejiang Gastrodia Elata is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Dejiang Gastrodia Elata is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, a specialty of Dejiang County in Guizhou Province, and a product with China's National Geographical Indication. It is characterized by a long cultivation history, with products that are large, thick, and firm in texture, containing 0.36% gastrodin—0.13% higher than the content specified by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Products developed from it, such as Gastrodia Elata wine, have gained widespread popularity.

　　　The production area of Dejiang Gastrodia Elata is located on the gently sloping terraces of the northeastern part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, at the junction of the Wuling Mountain Range and the Loushan Mountain Range. The highest point in the west reaches an altitude of 1,534 meters, while the lowest point in the east is at 320 meters, with a relative elevation difference of 1,214 meters, showcasing a prominent three-dimensional terrain. The climate is mild, with light, heat, and rainfall occurring in sync and abundant precipitation. This unique natural environment has endowed Dejiang Gastrodia Elata with its distinctive qualities.

　　 Quality Characteristics

　　　　Dejiang Gastrodia Elata is large, thick, and firm in texture, with high gastrodin content, extremely low levels of heavy metals, no pesticide residues. Figure 1: Fresh Dejiang Gastrodia Elata.

　　Its characteristics such as being pollution-free, safe for consumption, and more, give Dejiang Gastrodia Elata unique quality and high medicinal and health values. According to tests and analysis by the Guizhou Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dejiang Gastrodia Elata contains 0.36% gastrodin—0.13% higher than the Chinese Pharmacopoeia standard—and 4.4 mg/g of vitamin C, with a total of 3% free amino acids across 14 types.

　　　　Dejiang Gastrodia Elata has a long production history. As early as the Qing Dynasty, it was renowned for its abundant Gastrodia Elata output, and Dejiang Gastrodia Elata has long enjoyed a strong reputation. Figure 2: Dejiang Gastrodia Elata products.

　　Before the 1970s, the market mainly relied on wild Gastrodia Elata harvesting. Due to overharvesting, by the early 1970s, wild Gastrodia Elata had nearly disappeared. Subsequently, local efforts were organized to tackle the challenges of cultivation techniques. In the mid-to-late 1980s, there was a brief heyday. At that time, 11 out of the county’s 20 townships cultivated Gastrodia Elata, with Chongfeng and Gaoshan areas having abundant resources and many growers, making them the main production regions. The county’s distillery independently developed “LISHI” and “SHENWANG” branded Gastrodia Elata health wines, which sold well inland and were also exported to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The products were awarded the “Golden Crane Prize” by the China Health Wine Association and won the “Queen’s Golden Cup Award” at the Los Angeles Expo in the United States.

　　However, for various reasons, the good times for Dejiang Gastrodia Elata did not last. Due to poor management of the Gastrodia Elata winery, the industrial chain quickly collapsed. Many farmers tearfully abandoned cultivation.

　　In 1993, the asexual and sexual propagation cultivation techniques for Dejiang Gastrodia Elata were successfully developed, greatly increasing yield.

　　In the early 21st century, to promote the development of the Gastrodia Elata industry, Dejiang County established a “Technology Revitalizes Gastrodia” strategy, investing several million yuan to establish standardized production bases and wild-simulated cultivation demonstration farms in areas such as Gaoshan Dongwan, Gaoshan Qiao, and Shaxi, further improving the quality of Dejiang Gastrodia Elata. Continuous consolidation of base construction, expansion of cultivation area, and enhancement of production capacity were undertaken.

　　Official data shows that by 2008, the county’s commercial Gastrodia Elata cultivation area had reached over 200,000 square meters, with an annual dry Gastrodia output of over 200,000 kilograms and a production value of nearly 50 million yuan. With assistance from Guizhou University and Wenzhou University, Dejiang Gastrodia Elata made breakthroughs in deep processing, successfully developing “Gastrodia Polysaccharide Oral Liquid.” A merchant from Shandong acquired the county distillery, reorganizing it into Guizhou Jiusheng Wine Industry Company. After years of challenging ventures, the company resumed production of Gastrodia Elata health wine. By 2011, Dejiang had three leading Gastrodia Elata R&D enterprises, four registered Gastrodia product brand trademarks, processed over 6 million jin (3,000+ tons) of Gastrodia Elata annually, with an output value of over 50 million yuan, generating over 2 million yuan in tax revenue, and benefiting more than 30,000 people.

　　 Geographical Indication Product Protection

　　　　In 2007, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, in accordance with the "Regulations on the Protection of Geographical Indication Products," reviewed the application for the protection of Dejiang Gastrodia Elata as a geographical indication product. Upon passing the review, it approved the implementation of geographical indication product protection for Dejiang Gastrodia Elata starting May 29, 2007 (Announcement No. 81, 2007).

　　Protected Area

　　　　The protected area for Dejiang Gastrodia Elata as a geographical indication product is based on the scope proposed in the “Letter on Delimiting the Production Area of Dejiang Gastrodia Elata as a Geographical Indication Protected Product” (De Fu Han [2006] No. 83) issued by Dejiang County, Guizhou Province. It includes the administrative regions of 11 townships in Dejiang County: Gaoshan, Shaxi, Quankou, Chongfeng, Nan’gan, Pingyuan, Yantang, Hexing, Fuxing, Jiancha Town, and Fengxiangxi Town.