Zhenyuan Apricot Trees

Zhenyuan Apricot Trees

　　Apricot Trees

　　Apricot trees, which belong to the Rosaceae family of flowering and fruit-bearing plants, originated in northern China and are suited to growing in mountainous regions, slopes, valleys, and hollows. They are drought-resistant and cold-hardy, easy to plant, and bear fruit early — as the saying goes, "peaches in three years, apricots in four," meaning they can bear fruit in just four years. Their prime fruit-bearing period can last 50 to 60 years, with some trees living over a century. In Zhenyuan’s loess soil, as far back as the Western Zhou Dynasty, local ancestors transplanted wild apricot trees into their farmsteads, allowing them to propagate and evolve through generations. The great Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai wrote, "Three hundred li from the imperial capital, apricots bloom amid blue clouds," and Bai Juyi penned, "How could the apricot garden detain you when there are no blossoms? Come in spring before they bloom." These elegant verses clearly show that by the Tang Dynasty, apricot trees were already cultivated in orchards. The capital of the Tang Dynasty was filled with apricot trees. The Song Dynasty poet Lu You wrote, "Listening to spring rain all night in a small tower, I’ll buy apricot blossoms in the deep lane come morning," and Fan Chengda noted, "The boundless splendor has no shore — how can one confine the spring of the apricot garden?" These lines demonstrate the long history of apricot cultivation in China and how it became an important theme for literati to express emotion and praise the nation’s beautiful landscapes. The *Pingliang Prefecture Records* compiled by Zhao Shichun in the Ming Dynasty states: "There are ten fine varieties of apricots, with kernels that are sweet or bitter, double-flowered, or with dry leaves." During the Ming Dynasty, Zhenyuan was under the jurisdiction of Pingliang, meaning that over 500 years ago, the people of Zhenyuan were already researching and selecting superior apricot varieties. Legend has it that the Zhenyuan people with the surname "Apricot" descended from ancestors who loved planting apricot trees and were granted the name "Apricot" by the royal Zhou court. "Apricot" sounds like "prosper" (兴), symbolizing flourishing growth and prosperity. For generations, the people of Zhenyuan have widely planted apricot trees, embodying wishes for a thriving population and prosperous households.

　　There are many varieties of apricots. Based on the sweetness or bitterness of the kernel, they are categorized into sweet-kernel, bitter-kernel, and numb-kernel apricots; by ripening time, there are wheat-yellow and millet-yellow apricots; and by the adherence of skin to kernel, there are clingstone and freestone apricots. There are also a small number of grafted apricots, which are large, juicy, early-maturing, and the finest local variety. Since the 1980s, following scientific cultivation trials, varieties such as Shanxi Large Flat Apricot, Lanzhou Large Grafted Apricot, Golden Mama, Zhang Park, Green-skin Apricot, Silver-white Apricot, Huashan Large Grafted Apricot, and Linxia Tangwang Apricot have been introduced from other regions, along with more than 20 excellent varieties including Badan Apricot, Cao Apricot, Li Guang Apricot, Dragon King Apricot, Golden Sun, Kate, and Swarm in recent years. The county has designated the northern mountainous areas, the Pu River basin, and the Jiaokou River basin for cultivating kernel apricots, while the central-southern plains, the Hong River basin, and the Ru River basin focus mainly on flesh apricots. Additionally, early, mid, and late-ripening varieties are planted in a balanced mix. Currently, the development of high-quality apricot varieties is accelerating across all 19 towns in the county. On the foundation of apricot bases in each town, two food enterprises — "New Generation" and "New Millennium" — invested over 900,000 yuan to establish a 1,100-mu high-quality apricot production base in Xigouquan Village, Linjing Township, and Fengtai Village, Chengguan.

　　Every part of the apricot tree is valuable. Apricot wood is hard, fine-grained, and brightly colored, making it an affordable and high-quality material for farming tools and furniture. As the ancients wrote in their odes, “Decorate beams with figured apricot wood” and “With apricot beams, guests have not yet departed,” indicating that ancient builders even used apricot wood for beams — symbolizing prosperity. The fruit can be eaten fresh or dried for year-round consumption. The kernels are rich in oil; sweet ones can be eaten raw, while bitter ones, aside from being pressed for oil, can be boiled to remove bitterness and mixed with carrots and scallions to create a colorful, fragrant, and delicious side dish — a unique and popular accompaniment to alcohol in Zhenyuan, essential during holidays and gatherings. Zhenyuan almonds are renowned nationwide for their vibrant color, pure flavor, plumpness, and high quality, making the county one of China’s top almond producers. With an annual export of over 300 tons, it ranks second in the country. Apricot shells, once used as fuel — mainly for holiday cooking — are now ideal raw material for activated carbon, which is in high demand. It’s no exaggeration to say that sour green apricots, sweet yellow apricots, sweet and bitter kernels, and even the shells — all the sour, sweet, bitter, and astringent parts — are valuable. The apricot has become a golden key for Zhenyuan farmers on their path to prosperity and cooperation.

　　The significant development of apricot trees in Zhenyuan began after the liberation. Over the years, through afforestation campaigns, locals grew seedlings locally and extensively planted apricot trees, gradually forming large groves in apricot mountains, valleys, and hollows. Since the reform and opening-up, Zhenyuan County has promoted the slogan “Sea buckthorn on the hilltops, fruit trees around the waists, locust trees in the gullies, and apricot trees around the villages.” As a result, apricot trees have flourished around farmhouses and throughout villages. Today, the county has 263,400 mu of apricot forests. There are eight towns with over 10,000 mu of apricot trees, 18,000 households with over 100 trees each, and over 100 apricot valleys or mountains spanning more than 500 mu. A development pattern has emerged focusing on the county’s four major river basins and central-southern towns, primarily improving wild apricot varieties and planting extensively in areas under the Grain for Green Program. Ranking only behind Xinjiang’s Shahe County, which boasts vast wild apricot forests, Zhenyuan is second in the nation, producing over 20,000 tons of fresh apricots, 3,300 tons of dried apricots, and 2,500 tons of apricot kernels annually. The sprawling apricot forests also play a vital role in ecological conservation, creating breathtaking scenes like “ten miles of villages veiled in red.”

　　Since 1982, Zhenyuan County has continuously strengthened series development and deep processing, making the apricot industry one of the pillar sectors for enriching both the county and its people. By the mid-1990s, the county had 110 state-owned, collective, and private apricot product processing enterprises employing 5,400 workers, with an annual output of 16,000 tons of apricot products. Today, there are 35 such enterprises employing 1,650 people. The developed product range includes over 20 items in three categories: apricot preserved plums, apricot-plum candies, apricot jam, licorice apricots, eight-treasure apricots, fruit rolls, apricot slices, creamed apricot flesh, apricot soft candy, crystal apricots, apricot kernel cans, instant apricot essence, apricot kernel milk essence, and activated carbon. The annual total output of apricot products is 8,500 tons. Zhenyuan-made apricot goods are sold across the country — from north to south, from the northeast to the southwest — and exported to Southeast Asia, the CIS, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, earning 26 international and domestic awards. Products from New Generation Food Co., Ltd. have been honored as “Recommended Products at the 1999 China Small Commodities Fair,” “New Technology and Product Award at the 12th Western China Trade Fair,” “Special Recommended Product for 3.15 in 2003,” “Gold Award at the 2001 Gansu Melon, Fruit & Vegetable Expo,” “Best-Selling Product at the Qiqihar Green Food Expo,” “Designated Product of the Qingyang Folk Sachet Festival,” “Trusted Food Honor Brand,” and “Third Gansu Famous Trademark.”

　　In the gentle spring breeze of March, with birds chirping and the valley echoing with melodious tunes, the fresh countryside air is invigorating. After a light drizzle, the sky turns azure and the land glistens as apricot trees burst into blooming clusters. Bees and butterflies flit about, and homes and fields are enveloped in the fragrant warmth of apricot blossoms, creating a fairy-tale-like scene. The people of Zhenyuan — the hometown of red apricots — are leveraging their wisdom and dedication to further develop apricot resources, emphasizing innovation and keeping pace with the times. They aim to expand the apricot product market and build an even better hometown.