Xiangshan Gravel-Sand Watermelon

Xiangshan Gravel-Sand Watermelon

Xiangshan Gravel-Sand Watermelon is a protected geographical indication product.

　　 . Xiangshan Gravel-Sand Watermelon, also known as “Zhongwei Selenium Sand Watermelon” due to its high content of the health element "selenium," is a specialty of Zhongwei City in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. It gets its name from its origin in the Xiangshan area of Zhongwei’s urban district and the gravel-sand cultivation technique used. Coupled with the region's unique precipitation, sunlight, temperature differences, and soil conditions, the watermelons produced here are not only large and sweet, but also have thick rinds and hard textures, making them suitable for storage and transport, with a natural shelf life of over 50 days.

　　The gravel-sand melons and watermelons are large with thick skins, easy to transport, featuring bright red flesh, rich juice, sweet and refreshing taste, as pleasant as honey, with sugar content as high as 13.8%. The fruits are nutritionally comprehensive and well-balanced, containing all 18 essential amino acids, 3 types of vitamins, and 5 types of trace elements. Among these, they contain 56 mg/kg of calcium and 1090 mg/kg of potassium, especially notable for the presence of selenium (0.0056 mg/kg), an essential health-promoting trace element, along with zinc. These contribute to boosting the immune system, anti-aging, and cancer prevention, hence the name “Selenium Sand Watermelon.” Zhongwei Xiangshan Watermelons are grown without the use of any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. After review and monitoring by the China Green Food Development Center, the product quality fully meets the requirements of green organic food standards and has been certified as such.

　　Growing Environment

　　　　 . The Xiangshan area, which accounts for about one-third of Zhongwei City’s total land area, is located in the transitional zone between the Mongolian Plateau and the Loess Plateau. With annual precipitation of less than 180 mm and evaporation reaching 2400 mm, it is one of the driest regions in China. However, the local conditions of precipitation, sunlight, temperature differences, and soil make it an ideal environment for growing watermelons — and the only region in China highly suitable for cultivating high-quality gravel-sand watermelons.

　　The geographical indication protection area for Xiangshan Gravel-Sand Watermelon is defined according to the “Proposal on the Delineation of the Origin Area for the Geographical Indication Product Xiangshan Gravel-Sand Watermelon” (Wei Zheng Fa [2006] No. 53) issued by the People’s Government of Zhongwei City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. This includes the current administrative regions of 10 townships: Xiangshan Township, Changle Town, Yongkang Town in Zhongwei’s urban district; Mingsha Town, Enhe Town, Hanzhao Shui Township, Baima Township in Zhongning County; and Xingren Town, Gaoya Township, Guanqiao Township in Haiyuan County.