Goji Berries from Guazhou

Goji Berries from Guazhou

Goji Berries from Guazhou are a geographical indication certification trademark.

Goji Berries from Guazhou are a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Goji berries have been hailed since ancient times as the "Tree of Life," accompanying Chinese civilization since the over 4,000-year-old Yin-Shang culture. Throughout history, goji berries have been regarded as the ultimate and miraculous superfood for strengthening the body and promoting longevity. With their long-standing history, mysterious legends, remarkable pharmacological efficacy, health-preserving dietary uses, auspicious red symbolism, unique regional environment, health-enhancing and beauty-promoting fruit wines, and status as a Western "superfruit," the cultural history of goji berries runs deep. The legendary culture surrounding goji is almost deified, reflecting the high regard in which the public holds this fruit. Throughout various periods of Chinese history, there have been numerous legends about goji. Ancient people believed that regular consumption of goji could "retain youth and beauty" and "achieve a lifespan as long as heaven and earth." As a result, goji flowers were called "longevity flowers," and its branches were referred to as "immortal's staff" or "Queen Mother’s staff." At the time, Emperor Qin Shi Huang, in his quest for immortality, spared no effort in searching for elixirs of life. Among the three secret prescriptions in the palace considered as rejuvenation pills—the Rejuvenation Pill, the Seven-Treasure Beard-Blackening Elixir, and the Longevity Foundation Pill—goji was an ingredient. During the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, when the city of Shunzhou was being built, laborers dug up goji roots from the soil that resembled the shape of a dog and immediately presented them to the palace. These were the legendary thousand-year-old goji. Another legend tells of a Kaiyuan Temple in Runzhou during the Tang Dynasty. A well in the temple suddenly emitted two wisps of green smoke, from which two giant dragons emerged. They hovered and rolled in the air above the well before spitting out two dazzling red dragon pearls back into the well, then soared into the sky with clouds and mist swirling around them as they headed toward the East Sea. The dragon pearls turned into two large goji trees in the well, their roots gripping the bricks of the well wall. No one knows how many years the trees have grown, but their thick trunks and grayish-white branches hang down along the well walls for over two meters, lush and leafy, resembling two dragons poised to take flight. Locals therefore call goji the "Dragon Tree." Generations of residents living here have drunk water from the well, and most have enjoyed long lives. Over time, the villagers named their village "Longevity Village" as an auspicious gesture.

　　The unique geographical and climatic conditions of Guazhou County are ideal for growing goji berries. The goji produced here are large in size, bright red in color, thick-fleshed, tender, with few seeds and a sweet taste. Testing by the Gansu Provincial Analysis and Testing Center shows that Guazhou goji berries have a particle size (per 50 grams) of ≤370, moisture content of ≤13.0, polysaccharide content of ≥3.0, total sugar content of ≥40.0, and are rich in carotene, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, as well as calcium, iron, and other nutrients, with no pesticide residues. The goji berries produced in Guazhou are in high demand, with products being sold to 13 provinces and cities across China.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Guazhou County is located in the northwest of Gansu Province, at the western end of the Hexi Corridor and the northern foothills of the Qilian Mountains. Its geographical coordinates are between 94°45′00″ to 97°00′00″ east longitude and 39°52′00″ to 41°53′00″ north latitude. It borders Yumen City, an oil hub, to the east, Dunhuang City, a famous tourist destination, to the west, and neighbors the Subei Mongolian Autonomous County to the north and south, as well as Hami City in Xinjiang to the northwest. Since ancient times, it has served as a key transportation hub for east-west travel and a major commercial town along the ancient Silk Road. The county stretches approximately 185 kilometers from east to west and about 220 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of 24,130 square kilometers. The production area of Guazhou goji berries includes fourteen towns in Guazhou County, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province: Bulongji Township, Suoyangcheng Town, Shahe Township, Lianghu Township, Qidun Township, Shuangta Township, Guangzhi Township, Xihu Township, Hedong Township, Yaodianzi Township, and Sandaogou Town. Currently, the county has a total of 4,730 hectares planted with goji berries, yielding a total of 4,118 tons of dried goji fruit, with a production value of 156 million yuan.