Dunhuang Li Guang Apricot

Dunhuang Li Guang Apricot

Dunhuang Li Guang Apricot is a protected geographical indication product.

Dunhuang Li Guang Apricot is an agricultural geographical indication product.

　　The cultivation area of Dunhuang Li Guang apricots covers 500 hectares, with an annual output of 2,800 tons and an annual output value of 4.2 million yuan. The Li Guang apricot has a bright golden-yellow hue, smooth skin free of fuzz, dense golden flesh, a sweet and juicy taste, sticky sweet pits, and a rich fragrance. With an edible rate of over 90%, it boasts exceptional quality and honey-like sweetness, earning a renowned reputation as a rare fruit and the king of melons and fruits. The fruit has thin skin, flesh up to eight millimeters thick, a delicious flavor, and a fragrant, honey-dripping juice. The fruit is round with shallow and indistinct sutures, averaging 38.4 grams per fruit, with the largest reaching 45 grams. It is relatively durable for storage and transportation, suitable for fresh consumption as well as drying or processing into dried apricots and other products. Besides being eaten fresh, the flesh can also be made into canned goods, dried apricots, apricot preserves, apricot jam, and apricot wine. The kernels are also important ingredients in making pastries, cold desserts, and candies. The Li Guang apricot has sticky pits and sweet kernels, with shallow sutures on the fresh fruit and a fruit shape index of over 95%. It contains acids, sugars, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins, and other nutrients, offering rich nutrition with a sugar content of over 18%. It boasts a unique fragrance and is of top-tier quality.

　　Historical records indicate that this apricot variety was brought to Dunhuang by the Han Dynasty's legendary General Li Guang from the Xiongnu region (present-day Xinjiang), where it was cultivated and grafted, hence the name.

　　Dunhuang City is located at the westernmost end of the Hexi Corridor, at the junction of Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang (provinces/regions), between 92°13′ and 95°30′ east longitude and 39°53′ and 41°35′ north latitude. The city covers a total area of 31,200 square kilometers, of which the oasis area spans 1,400 square kilometers, accounting for only 4.5% of the total area and surrounded by deserts and Gobi. Hence, it is known as the "Oasis in the Gobi." Dunhuang administers 6 towns, 3 townships, and 56 village committees. The cultivation area of Dunhuang Li Guang apricots covers 500 hectares, with an annual output of 2,800 tons and an annual output value of 4.2 million yuan.