Zhongning Goji Berries

Zhongning Goji Berries

Zhongning Goji Berries are a protected geographical indication product.

Zhongning Goji Berries are a certified geographical indication trademark.

Zhongning Goji Berries are an agricultural geographical indication product.

　　Zhongning Goji Berries, originally known as Ning'an Goji Berries, rank first among the “Five Treasures of Ningxia.” They are named after their place of origin, Ning'an Fort in Zhongning County. These berries are a premium cultivated agricultural product, developed from China’s long tradition of using wild goji berries and thriving under the unique environmental conditions around Ning'an Fort.

　　Zhongning Goji Berries usually bloom twice a year. Those harvested in summer are called “summer fruit,” while those picked in autumn are referred to as “autumn fruit.” Fresh goji berries are bright red in color, spindle-shaped, and similar in size to jujube pits. After being processed using traditional methods, dried goji berries can be stored for a long time without spoiling.

　　Zhongning County is the birthplace of goji berries and serves as a major production area and hub for cultivating new varieties and promoting new technologies in China. It has over 600 years of history in goji cultivation. In recent years, governments at all levels in the county, together with local farmers, have worked hard to leverage deep processing by private enterprises. This has helped fully tap into the brand advantages of Zhongning Goji Berries, the comparative advantage in product volume, the potential for processing and value-added conversion, and the overall strengths of industrial development. As a result, the goji industry has seen rapid growth within the county’s economy. Today, the goji industry has become a pillar sector for Zhongning County in adjusting its industrial structure, increasing farmers’ incomes, and achieving stable and coordinated rural economic and social development.

　　Goji berries have been cultivated in Ningxia for over 500 years, but Zhongning Goji Berries are considered the finest among them. The reason why Zhongning Goji Berries enjoy a worldwide reputation lies first in the local soil, which is ideal for goji growth, and the significant diurnal temperature variation. Secondly, they benefit from irrigation using a mix of Yellow River water and the mineral-rich bitter water of the Qingshui River. These specific conditions make Zhongning Goji Berries truly unique — they are brightly colored, large in size, thin-skinned, thick-fleshed, with few seeds, and sweet in taste. Their exceptional quality makes them the only variety of goji included in the pharmacopoeia of New China. The National Medical Products Administration designated Ningxia as the country’s only official production region for medicinal goji berries, listing it as one of the top ten national medicinal herb production bases. In the renowned Compendium of Materia Medica written by the distinguished Ming Dynasty pharmacologist Li Shizhen, Ningxia goji berries were ranked as a superior-grade herb, stating, “All goji berries used for medicinal purposes across the nation come from Ningxia.”

　　For a long time, Zhongning Goji Berries have consistently ranked first nationwide for their pure quality and abundant yield. Historical records indicate that goji berries have been cultivated in Zhongning for at least 500 years and were listed as a “tribute fruit” as early as the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty. The Zhongwei County Annals, compiled during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, stated: “In the Ning'an area (now Zhongning County in Ningxia), goji orchards are cultivated locally, and the sweet goji berries used for medicine across the provinces all come from Ningxia.” People of the time even composed poems in praise: “In June, the goji orchards turn tree after tree red; Ning'an’s medicinal fruits reign supreme. A thousand coins per dou fetch high prices, outperforming fertile fields with early bountiful harvests.” The Shuofang Daozhi also contains the record: “The best goji berries come from Ning'an Fort.” The famous Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi once praised goji berries: “Their branches are lush, like the staff of immortals; their roots grow old, forming the shape of auspicious dogs. As top-grade herbs, they possess the flavor of sweet dew, and just a spoonful is said to prolong life.”

　　Zhongning Goji Berries usually bloom twice a year. Those harvested in summer are called “summer fruit,” while those picked in autumn are referred to as “autumn fruit.” Fresh goji berries are bright red in color, spindle-shaped, and similar in size to jujube pits. After being processed using traditional methods, dried goji berries can be stored for a long time without spoiling.