Huocheng Lavender

Huocheng Lavender

Huocheng lavender is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　  There is another legend about lavender: the daughter of the King of the Western Regions, "Iparhan," loved to eat lavender flowers since childhood. Wherever she went, butterflies would follow her, and because of her enchanting fragrance, she was chosen as a concubine by Emperor Qianlong and became the legendary Fragrant Concubine. This story puzzles many — the tale of the Fragrant Concubine in southern Xinjiang is associated with oleaster flowers, while in northern Xinjiang, it’s intertwined with lavender. Could this be a transplanted Fragrant Concubine, who moved from Kashgar to Ili? Perhaps every beautiful flower inspires a beautiful maiden to become the heroine of its legend. Every year in May and June, when vast fields of blue-violet lavender sway like ocean waves in Huocheng, the breeze carries waves of intoxicating floral fragrance, signaling harvest time. Lavender, this fragrant spirit that traveled from Provence, France, to Huocheng, has taken root and thrived here for over 40 years. In 1964, three varieties of lavender were introduced from Beijing Botanical Garden to Huocheng County. At the same time, the National Ministry of Light Industry also conducted trial plantings in Yuxian, Henan; Kunming, Yunnan; and Xi’an, Shaanxi — but all failed. Only in Huocheng did the lavender not only survive but flourish. Today, Huocheng County has become China’s largest lavender planting region, with over 25,000 mu under cultivation, accounting for more than 97% of the country’s total production. Alongside France’s Provence, Japan’s Hokkaido, and Russia’s Caucasus, Huocheng is now recognized as one of the world’s four major lavender production areas. Due to its extensive lavender cultivation, Huocheng County has been named the “Home of Lavender in China.” As the planting area has expanded, cultivation has become increasingly organized and large-scale, forming several significant lavender bases. The lavender industry in Huocheng has also grown steadily, developing into an integrated model encompassing raw material cultivation, essential oil extraction, deep product processing, new product R&D, tourism development, and leisure entertainment.

　　  Huocheng County shares the same latitude as France’s Provence, one of the world’s most famous lavender regions. Its climate and soil conditions are highly similar, making it one of the few places in the world suitable for growing lavender. Dubbed the “Home of Lavender in China,” lavender has gradually become a unique symbol that introduces Huocheng and even Ili to the world. The world-renowned lavender has made people remember this purple, romantic land of Huocheng.

　　  In ancient Latin and Italian, "lavender" means "to wash." In ancient times, people used lavender to scent freshly washed clothes, hence the name. Lavender is a semi-shrubby plant of the Lamiaceae family, growing 30–50 cm tall, with many branches at the base and covered in short soft hairs. The leaves are linear or linear-lanceolate, opposite each other. The verticillaster inflorescence usually has 6–10 pairs of flowers, borne at the top of the stem, forming a continuous spike-like flower cluster. Lavender is also known as the "fragrant perfume plant." Its leaves, flowers, and stems are full of oil glands, which can be used to extract essential oil — primarily from the flower tops. The flowers contain 0.8% essential oil (dry flowers contain 1.5%), mainly composed of linalyl acetate, lavandulyl acetate, and coumarin. The aromatic oil extracted from lavender is elegant, long-lasting, and widely applicable, making it a precious ingredient in high-end cosmetics. Hence, lavender is hailed as the “King of Fragrances” and the “Purple Queen.” Lavender essential oil, with its rich and pleasant aroma, is widely used as a primary fragrance component in various perfumes and personal care products, such as soap, toilet water, balsam, cold cream, hair oil, and shampoo. Thus, it is an indispensable aromatic raw material in the flavor and fragrance industry. Lavender essential oil also has medicinal uses — it can reduce inflammation, prevent tumors, relieve pain, promote urination, stimulate cell regeneration, accelerate wound healing, improve acne and eczema, balance sebum secretion, and is especially effective for burns, scalds, and sunburns. It also inhibits bacteria and removes scars, and has been widely used in medicine since ancient times.

　　  Lavender is native to the plateau regions of the southern Alps. In the 1930s, some countries along the northern Mediterranean coast began cultivating it. By the early 1950s, Chinese research institutions attempted introductions but were unsuccessful. In 1964, the 65th Regiment of the 4th Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps first transplanted lavender from Beijing Botanical Garden to the Ili region. Through introduction, domestication, and research, a scientific cultivation technique and management method were developed, gradually adapting lavender to Huocheng County’s climate and soil. After over 40 years of seasonal changes, lavender took root in Ili — known as the “Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall” — becoming the third-largest lavender planting base after France’s Provence and Japan’s Furano, as well as the only major production area in China.

　　  Lavender is an herbaceous plant planted once and harvested for many years. Harvest takes place from late June to mid-July each year. In normal years, per-mu yield is about 50 kg of dried flowers and around 5 kg of essential oil.

　　  Currently, the cultivated lavender area in the Ili River Valley has reached over 30,000 mu, mainly concentrated in Huocheng County and the 65th and 70th Regiments of the 4th Agricultural Division. Major varieties include Taikong No.1, Jieyou No.5, and French Blue. Among them, French Blue is the most widely distributed. In September 2004, lavender seeds selected from the 65th Regiment were sent to space. After a month in orbit, they returned to the 65th Regiment and grew well under the care of local technicians.

　　  In recent years, the Ili Prefecture has actively supported the rapid development of the lavender industry, fostering numerous lavender brands such as Iparhan, Jieyou Princess, Santa Maria, Zisu Lady, and Yuanxiang. Lavender-related products span areas such as beauty, aromatherapy, massage, health care, herbal tea, and home décor. Products are sold extensively to cities like Shenzhen and Shanghai, as well as international markets, yielding significant economic benefits. Many domestic businesses also rush to Ili to source lavender for developing premium decorations, cosmetics, travel souvenirs, and women’s products, indicating a bright future for the lavender industry.

　　  For several consecutive years, Huocheng County has hosted the “China · Huocheng Lavender Tourism and Culture Festival,” actively promoting the “Home of Lavender in China” tourism brand and building a “City of Fragrance” and “City of Romance.” These efforts attract countless visitors from afar to admire blooming lavender, experience its unique culture, savor its noble, elegant, and romantic fragrance, and explore the boundless charm of Huocheng’s multi-ethnic culture.

　　  The flower language of lavender is waiting for love, waiting for the miracle of love.

　　  There are many legends about lavender:

　　  Long ago, in Provence, there was a beautiful girl. One day, while picking budding flowers alone in a cold valley, she met an injured traveler from afar who asked her for directions on her way home. Holding a bouquet of flowers, the maiden gazed deeply at the handsome young man. In that moment, her heart was captured by his passionate smile. Against her family’s wishes, she insisted he stay to recover. As days passed, his leg healed, and their bond deepened. On a cool morning, the youth prepared to leave, but the maiden, defying her family, wished to follow him to his distant rose-covered homeland... Before she left, the village elder handed the maiden a bouquet of newly bloomed lavender, suggesting she use it to test the youth’s sincerity... Legend says the scent of lavender reveals impurities... That morning, as the valley bloomed with lavender and the youth took the maiden’s hand to depart, she threw a hidden bunch of lavender from her coat onto him. A swirl of purple mist appeared and vanished... The valley whispered with the sound of cold wind, as if the youth murmured, “I am the heart you’re meant to follow!” leaving the maiden standing alone in sorrow... Soon, the maiden disappeared too. Some say she followed the floral scent to find him; others say she turned into a wisp of smoke and vanished with him in the valley... The appearance of this flower represents love and promise, just like its flower language — waiting for love.

　　  Author: Chen Youming

　　  Region: Xinjiang

　　  Applicant: Huocheng County Agricultural Technology Extension Station

　　  Region: 2013

　　  Geographical Scope

　　  Huocheng County is located in western China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It borders Wenquan County and Bole City of the Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture to the north (via the Tianshan Mountains); faces Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County across the Ili River to the south; neighbors Yining County and Yining City to the east; and shares a boundary with Kazakhstan via the Khorgos River to the west. The protected geographical indication area for Huocheng lavender includes 13 townships and farms: Langgan Township, Qingshuihe Town, Luchaogou Town, Sandaohe Township, Shuiding Town, Huaiyuan Town, Liangfan Farm, Guozigou Ranch, Mohuer Ranch, Sangong Township, Daxigou Township, Saerbulake Town, and Yichegashan Xibe Ethnic Township — totaling 88 administrative villages. The geographical coordinates are between 80°11′–81°24′ east longitude and 43°39′–44°50′ north latitude, with elevations ranging from 540 to 1100 meters. The protected area for Huocheng lavender spans 1,000 hectares, with an annual dried flower yield of 1,500 tons.

　　  Product Quality Characteristics

　　  (1) External Sensory Characteristics: Huocheng lavender features elegant leaf shape and flower color, with slender and graceful blue-violet flower spikes. Its distinctive fragrance is rich and mellow, earning it the reputation of “aromatic herb” and “queen of herbs.” Lavender is widely used and highly effective — its fragrance refreshes the mind, improves vision, calms the nerves, soothes anxiety, repels mosquitoes and moths, and can even be used directly as tea or for medicinal purposes. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Huocheng lavender has a high oil content, with linalool reaching 40–50%, linalyl acetate 20–25%, calcium 9400–9900 (mg/kg), iron 298–350 (mg/kg), potassium 20000–24000 (mg/kg), phosphorus 2000–2500 (mg/kg), zinc 25–33 (mg/kg), copper 8–12 (mg/kg), magnesium 2800–3200 (mg/kg), sodium 7.5–12.5 (mg/kg), and manganese 30–42 (mg/kg).