Anning White Peach

Anning White Peach

　　　For a long time, Lanzhou’s White Peaches have been highly popular due to their delicious taste, bright color, and attractive shape, earning Anning District in Lanzhou the reputation of a "Peach Paradise."

　　The Lanzhou White Peach is large and plump, averaging 150 grams per fruit. Its skin is slightly thick, with a purplish-red hue on the sun-exposed side. The flesh is delicate, soft, sweet, and rich in juicy nectar, exuding a fragrant aroma and offering a richly satisfying flavor.

　　White peaches are rich in various nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins, volatile oils, organic acids, minerals, crude fiber, and carbohydrates. They can relieve hunger and thirst, nourish the body, and help stimulate bile secretion, aid digestion, and treat constipation.

　　Every April when spring arrives and flowers bloom, the endless peach orchards stretching tens of kilometers transform into a sea of blossoms. Peach trees are covered with vibrant flowers, each pink blossom resembling a piece of crimson clouds fallen from the sky—a breathtaking sight. By early May, the trees begin to bear fruit. In June, the unripe peaches are still green and small. Come July and August, the ripe peaches turn an inviting pink, growing large and fragrant. The underripe ones are crisp and tasty but lack aroma. When fully ripe, the peaches melt in your mouth with an incredibly sweet flavor. A single bite releases bursts of juice, often dripping from your hand all the way down your sleeve.

　　 Geographic Distribution

　　　　Peach trees originated in northwest China and have a history of over 3,000 years. Historical records state: “When Emperor Wu of Han first developed the Shanglin Garden, his ministers offered various fresh fruits, including fine walnuts, purple-streaked peaches, and Jincheng peaches.” The Jincheng peach refers to the late-season peaches produced in the Anning peach orchards, indicating that Lanzhou has been cultivating fresh peaches for at least two thousand years. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Jiaotao peaches of Lanzhou were listed as tribute fruits.

　　The Anning Peach Orchard in Lanzhou had already become a popular flower-viewing destination since the Qing Dynasty. In those days, the visitors were mostly scholars, beauties, and high-ranking officials. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, the struggling poet Jiang Defu from Lanzhou once wrote in praise: “I remember Lanzhou so well, in spring its fruits are truly praiseworthy. Lanterns blaze like fires in three markets, colored blossoms scatter like confetti across the city. Green trees prompt the beat of song boards, fragrant dust follows embroidered carriages. Along the emerald grassy paths, wine banners hang askew everywhere.” By the Republican era, with the increase in local residents and improved transportation, the Anning peach blossoms became widely enjoyed by the public. The poet Li Shaoling wrote: “Before the hills and behind them, blossoms cluster like stars; inside and outside the gardens, people shine like jade. Every household is busy admiring the flowers, and one never tires of faces framed by blossoms.” During the blooming season, the peach blossoms are as gorgeous as brocade, like crimson clouds scattered across the human world—a scene of indescribable beauty.