Wugongtai Sweet Potatoes

Wugongtai Sweet Potatoes

Wugongtai sweet potatoes are a product with a geographical indication.

　　 Hutubi County’s Wugongtai Town is located at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and the southern edge of the Junggar Basin. Wugongtai sweet potatoes have been cultivated in the town for many years. Within Xinjiang, according to the Hutubi Yearbook, Wugongtai Town has one of the larger cultivation areas of sweet potatoes on the northern side of the Tianshan Mountains. Initially, they were planted in small quantities on soft soil, primarily as a famine prevention measure and to stave off hunger; secondly, as a supplement to staple food. The practice continued over time, and as farmers from Xishuwowzi Village discovered that sweet potatoes were well-suited to local conditions, yielding high quality and abundant harvests, cultivation gradually expanded to neighboring villages. According to local elders, there is also a beautiful legend about sweet potatoes: there was once a girl who was very ugly, sickly, and had no name since childhood — everyone called her “the ugly girl.” As the girl approached thirty without marrying, villagers mocked her, and even her family looked down on her. Watching her peers get married and have children one by one while she remained unnoticed, she wept every day. She simply couldn’t understand why, drinking the same water and eating the same food, she was so unattractive and why the heavens were so unfair. One day, unable to bear the torment any longer, she attempted to take her own life. After some time, she regained consciousness, thinking she had arrived in the underworld. But upon opening her eyes, she found herself still in the human world — she realized that living was hard, but dying was even harder. Feeling unbearably hungry, she got up and went to a hillside where she spotted a large patch of wild sweet potatoes. She dug up a few casually. These sweet potatoes were very different from those grown in the village — their skins were red, and the flesh inside was white. After eating a few, she found them sweet, fragrant, crisp, and very pleasant to the palate. Thinking that returning to the village would only subject her to more ridicule, she decided to stay there instead, especially since the sweet potatoes could keep her fed. So she built a simple hut and settled down. When hungry, she ate sweet potatoes; when tired, she rested in the hut. Who knows how long this went on... About several months later, missing her parents, she returned to the village. The villagers thought she was dead and were stunned when they saw her, almost failing to recognize her. The former “ugly girl” was not only alive but had rosy, fair skin and had become a striking beauty. Everyone gathered around asking what miracle cure she had taken. She told the villagers about her strange encounter and then led them along the path she had taken back to find that patch of sweet potatoes. The villagers harvested all the vines and planted them. From then on, the villagers no longer suffered from hunger. Wugongtai sweet potatoes have gained nationwide recognition for their unique quality. They are highly nutritious, excellent in quality, and delicious in taste, making them very popular with consumers. Each autumn, sweet potatoes are purchased by sales points from other regions. Contracts for the purchase of sweet potatoes are also signed annually with some Central Asian countries. This has truly served the purpose of “building an organization, developing an industry, invigorating the local economy, and enriching the local people.”

　　The history of sweet potato cultivation in Xishuwowzi Village, Wugongtai Town, spans nearly 30 years. The unique sandy soil and climatic conditions produce sweet potatoes that are glossy in appearance, tender and sweet in taste, with high sugar content and minimal fibrous threads, making them very popular among consumers. As a result, Xishuwowzi sweet potatoes have consistently enjoyed strong local sales.

　　Wugongtai Sweet Potatoes

　　Geographical Scope

　　Wugongtai Town is located in Hutubi County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The protected geographical indication area for Wugongtai sweet potatoes includes the administrative regions of Xishuwowzi Village, Shihu Village, Daquan Village, Xiaoquan Village, and Baiquan Village within Wugongtai Town. It lies at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and the southwestern edge of the Junggar Basin. To the east, it borders Yuanhucun Town and Hutubi County town; to the south, it connects with Queergou Town; to the west, it adjoins Luan Shanzi Village of Wugongtai Town; and to the north, it neighbors Fangcaohu General Farm. The geographical coordinates are: longitude 86°5′–87°8′, latitude 43°16′–45°20′. The maximum north-south length is 38 kilometers, and the maximum east-west width is 15 kilometers, covering a total area of 4,020.27 hectares. The protected area is 3,211 hectares, with a total yield of 640 tons.