Zhangye Grapes

Zhangye Grapes

　　Zhangye is located in the "waist" of the Hexi Corridor at 38 degrees north latitude, bordered by the Qilian Mountains to the south and the Badain Jaran Desert to the north. Established as a commandery during the Western Han Dynasty with the meaning of "extending the nation’s arm to connect with the Western Regions," it was an important town along the ancient Silk Road. Covering a total area of 42,000 square kilometers, it includes 3.8 million mu of arable land, 6.962 million mu of forest, 3.156 million mu of wetlands, and over 17 million mu of desertified land. The city administers one district and five counties — Ganzhou, Linze, Gaotai, Shandan, Minle, and Sunan — with a population of 1.28 million comprising 38 ethnic groups, among which the Yugur people are the only minority group concentrated solely in Zhangye. The Heihe River, China’s second-largest inland river originating from the northern foothills of the Qilian Mountains, has nurtured this oasis in the Gobi Desert. With its unique geographical location, superior natural endowments, abundant resources, and profound cultural heritage, Zhangye has long been known as the “Jiangnan of the Frontier” and the “Golden Zhangye.” It is recognized as a “National Historical and Cultural City,” “China’s Excellent Tourism City,” “National Model City for Greening,” “National Green Ecological Demonstration City,” and “China’s Most Investment-Worthy Green Ecological City.” The region’s distinctive cool-climate resources and its position in the golden latitudinal belt of 38 degrees north make Zhangye the proud bearer of titles such as “China’s High-Quality Grape Production Base” and “China’s No. 1 City for Protected Cultivation of Late-Maturing Grapes.” Zhangye has a long history of grape cultivation. According to the *Ganzhou Prefecture Records*, grapes brought back by Zhang Qian from his mission to the Western Regions during Emperor Wu of Han’s reign were first planted and spread along the Hexi Corridor before gradually expanding across the country. In 609 AD, Emperor Yang of Sui hosted the “Universal Expo” in Zhangye, where locally produced grape wine became a rare and highly admired delicacy. During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, grape cultivation in Zhangye flourished. Over the following 1,300 years, grape growing in the region has experienced ups and downs but has never disappeared. Historical practices have shown that Zhangye is suitable for grape cultivation across a wide area. Expert evaluations have determined the optimal grape-growing zones in the city to be between 98°92′–100°86′ east longitude and 38°60′–39°60′ north latitude — stretching from the border between Ganzhou District and Shandan County in the east, to the boundary between Sunan’s Minghua Township and Jiuquan’s Jinta County in the west; from the junction of Daman Town and Huazhai Township in Ganzhou District in the south, to Moushaoliang in Luocheng Township, Gaotai County in the north. This includes 18 townships in Ganzhou District (such as Liangjiadun, Xindun, Dangzhai, Chang’an, Jiantan, Shangqin, Ganjun, Mingyong, Sanzha, Wujian, Shajing, Jing’an, Damang, and Xiaoman), seven townships in Linze County (including Shahe, Banqiao, Xinhua, Pingchuan, Liaquan, Nijia’ying, and Yanuan), eight townships in Gaotai County (including Nanhua, Luotuocheng, Xiangdao, Xuancheng, Heli, Heiquan, Luocheng), eight townships in Shandan County (including Chenhu, Weiqi, Liqiao, Huocheng), nine townships in Minle County (including Sanbao, -, Shunhua, Nangu, and Beitan), and 56 townships in Sunan County (including Baiyin and Yumuzhuang) — all situated at elevations between 1,300 and 2,400 meters. These areas mostly feature sandy soil with loose structures and rich mineral content, conducive to grape root growth, berry coloring, and ripening. The average daily temperature during the vegetative growth period ranges from 15.2°C to 18.2°C, with sunshine duration between 8.9 and 10.2 hours, and significant diurnal temperature variation (12.6°C to 14.5°C). The annual accumulated temperature above 10°C ranges from 2,200°C to 3,550°C, favorable for sugar accumulation and flavor retention. The dry and clean air, the pure and sweet meltwater from the Qilian Mountains, solar radiation intensity second only to Lhasa in Tibet, and scarce precipitation provide an outstanding natural resource foundation for producing organic and high-quality green grapes. To date, the five counties and one district under Zhangye’s jurisdiction — Ganzhou, Linze, Gaotai, Shandan, Minle, and Sunan — have planted a total of 50,800 mu of various high-quality grape varieties according to local natural conditions, climate features, and elevation gradients. (Including: 10,500 mu of protected cultivation grapes; 23,400 mu of wine grapes; 16,900 mu of open-field table grapes, involving over 38,000 farming households.) The annual yield reaches 69,180 tons, with a total output value of 400 million yuan. In recent years, our city has focused on the regional strategic positioning of being an “ecological security barrier, multidimensional transportation hub, and economic corridor.” Emphasizing “ecological construction, modern agriculture, and corridor economy,” we aim to build a “city of ecological civilization, modern agriculture, corridor economy, and ethnic unity and progress.” By adopting new concepts and measures to transform the economic development model, we are vigorously developing an ecological economy, achieving preliminary success. Particularly in exploring oasis modern agriculture characterized by water-saving, efficiency, and safety, we have leveraged our unique resource advantages, continuously optimized industrial structure, actively guided the development of the protected grape industry, and forged a path of rapid and sustainable development of protected grapes backed by ecological integrity. We began introducing Red Globe grapes in 1995, conducted successful trials of protected delayed-cultivation in 2000, and scaled up promotion in 2005. Since 2008, the municipal Party committee and government have prioritized the development of protected grapes as a key strategy to increase farmers’ income, incorporating it into the “Modern Agriculture Demonstration Project” — one of the city’s “Top Ten Projects.” Guided by the development philosophy of “more light, less water, new land, new technology, and high returns,” and focusing on the “two belts and one circle” — the mountain-cooled belt, desert-edge belt, and urban-suburban ring — we have scientifically planned layouts, formulated preferential policies, standardized production standards, promoted supporting technologies, driven scale expansion, accelerated the development of “three-category” (pollution-free, green, and organic) products, and cultivated premium brands. The protected grape industry in Zhangye has achieved notable results. In 2009, after on-site inspections by nationally renowned grape experts and fruit distributors, it was unanimously concluded that Zhangye’s cool climate, abundant sunlight, and large diurnal temperature differences make it the optimal zone for protected delayed-cultivation of grapes. The city’s technology is mature and comprehensive, capable of producing high-end organic grapes ripe for the market between New Year’s Day and Spring Festival. The market potential is vast, and by leveraging different elevation gradients, year-round supplies of fresh grapes can be achieved. From 2008 to the present, for several consecutive years, the municipal government has enacted various support measures and preferential policies. Counties and districts have also introduced tailored policies to boost the grape industry. Large-scale contiguous planting of high-quality delayed-maturing Red Globe grapes — with Jin Zhangye Red Globe as the main variety — has been promoted across vast areas of land at elevations between 1,300 and 2,400 meters. The protected grape cultivation technology is mature, with evident benefits in increasing farmers’ income. Goals such as fruiting in the second year and reaching peak yield in the third year after planting have been achieved. The average income per mu is about 18,000 yuan, with water productivity exceeding 100 yuan per cubic meter. Within just three years, 10,500 mu of protected grapes have been developed, and the average annual net income per household cultivating Jin Zhangye Red Globe grapes has exceeded 10,000 yuan, gradually becoming one of the key pillar industries for increasing farmers’ prosperity. Based on the current status and potential of grape cultivation — especially protected grapes — in Zhangye, the city has carried out pragmatic planning, scientific evaluation, focused priorities, and step-by-step implementation. By the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan, the goal is to expand the area of protected grapes to 20,000 mu, and around 50,000 mu by 2020.

　　III. Geographic Scope

　　Zhangye is located in the central part of the Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province, spanning 97°12′–102°20′ east longitude and 37°28′–39°57′ north latitude. It borders Wuwei and Jinchang to the east, Jiayuguan and Jiuquan to the west, Qinghai Province to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the north. Covering a total area of 42,000 square kilometers, it administers one district and five counties — Ganzhou, Linze, Gaotai, Shandan, Minle, and Sunan — with 3.8 million mu of arable land and a population of 1.28 million. It is the agricultural heartland of western Gansu and a key national base for high-quality grape production. Zhangye Grapes are one of the city’s characteristic and competitive industries. The production region of “Zhangye Grapes” lies between 97°12′–102°20′ east longitude and 37°28′–39°57′ north latitude. Administratively, it includes: 19 towns and forest farms in Ganzhou District (such as Liangjiadun, Xindun, Dangzhai, Chang’an, Jiantan, Shangqin, Ganjun, Mingyong, Sanzha, Wujian, Shajing, Jing’an, Damang, Xiaoman, Longqu, Anyang, Huazhai, Dongdashan Forest Farm, and Xichengyi Forest Farm), 7 towns in Linze County (including Shahe, Banqiao, Xinhua, Pingchuan, Liaquan, Nijia’ying, and Yanuan), 8 towns in Gaotai County (including Nanhua, Luotuocheng, Xiangdao, Xuancheng, Heli, Heiquan, Luocheng, and Xinba), 10 towns and farms in Shandan County (including Qingquan, Chenhu, Weiqi, Liqiao, Huocheng, Da-, Dongle, Mechanical Forest Farm, Shandan Farm, and Shandan Horse Farm), 11 towns, development zones, and nurseries in Minle County (including Hongshui, Xintian, Liuba, Yonggu, Sanbao, -, Shunhua, Fengle, Nangu, Development Zone, and Dongtan Nursery), and 3 towns in Sunan County (including Hongwansi, Baiyin, and Kangle), totaling 58 towns, forests (farms), and nurseries at elevations between 1,350 and 2,450 meters. The total base area reaches 3,500 hectares, with an annual output of 52,500 tons of Zhangye Grapes.

　　IV. Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: “Zhangye Grapes” feature bright-colored fruits, either bright red or purplish-red. The clusters are moderately tight, averaging 26 cm in length and 18 cm in diameter, weighing 750–1,000g per cluster. The berries are nearly round, uniformly sized, free of shriveled or underripe grapes, with fresh green stems and pedicels. The average single berry weight is 12g, with a maximum of 18g. Solids content is over 15g/100g, total sugar exceeds 13g/100g, and the taste is pleasant. The grapes are rich in beneficial minerals such as calcium and iron. The sensory grading standards for Zhangye Grapes are shown in Table (table omitted). 2. Harvested grapes are graded into Special Grade, First Grade, and Second Grade based on sensory criteria including cluster, berry, color, ripeness, harvest time, breakage and sunburn rates, and incidence of diseased or insect-damaged fruit. The cluster is the primary criterion. 3. Internal Quality Characteristics: The physicochemical standards for the grapes are shown in Table 2. (Table omitted) (3) Hygiene Requirements: The hygiene grading standards for the grapes are shown in Tables 3 and 4. (Tables omitted)