HaiDian Yubada Apricot

HaiDian Yubada Apricot

HaiDian Yubada Apricot is a geographical indication product for agricultural produce.

　　HaiDian Yubada Apricot is a specialty of HaiDian District, Beijing. The fruit is large with thin skin, fragrant and delicious, and was once an imperial tribute. It is now recognized as a national geographical indication product for agricultural produce.

　　HaiDian District has a long history of apricot tree cultivation. Historical records describe that “at the Reclining Buddha Temple, apricot blossoms were everywhere, with nearly 100,000 apricot trees, making it the foremost sacred site on the Fragrant Hills.” Even today, many wild apricot trees can still be found in the Western Hills area of HaiDian. According to the Qing Dynasty’s "Imperial Capital Seasonal Records," besides the Xiangzi and Badada apricots, there were also varieties such as Sidaohe and Haitanghong, whose kernels were also sweet. In the 32nd year of Emperor Guangxu’s reign (1906), the Qing government’s Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce approved the establishment of the Beijing Agricultural Experiment Station, covering an area of 1,067 mu, where apricot trees were planted for experimentation, improvement, and promotion. The apricots from Bei’anhe, the pears from Nan’anhe, and the cherries from the Western Hills were all renowned in the capital. Apricot trees are long-lived species, and dozens of century-old apricot trees still survive in HaiDian, remaining deeply rooted, leafy, bountiful, and thriving. Over time, many famous and premium apricot varieties have developed in HaiDian. Among these, the Yubada apricot is predominant. The 1990-published "Beijing Fruit Tree Chronicles" documented eight fresh-eating apricot varieties in HaiDian District, including Yubada. The Yubada apricot is large with thin skin, fragrant and delicious, and was once an imperial tribute.

　　HaiDian District has a long tradition of apricot tree cultivation. The Yubada apricot is large with thin skin, fragrant and delicious, and was once an imperial tribute. Currently, the apricot planting area in HaiDian exceeds 4,000 mu, with the main variety being the locally grown Yubada. Due to lower temperatures in winter and spring and recent rainfall in 2013, yields have decreased somewhat, with a total production of about 1.5 million kilograms. Picking prices are around 10 yuan.

　　In 2013, the "HaiDian Yubada Apricot," applied for by the HaiDian District Agricultural Science Research Institute of Beijing, passed the review of the Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Center under the Ministry of Agriculture and expert evaluation, and was designated for national geographical indication registration and protection.

　　Geographic Scope

　　HaiDian Yubada Apricot is mainly distributed along the western foothills of the Western Hills in HaiDian District. This includes Qiwangfen Village, Xibutou Village, Cherying Village, Xishan Farm, Xugezhuang Village, Bei’anhe Village, Nan’anhe Village, Caochang Village, Zhoujiaxiang Village, and Niegezhuang Village in Sujiatuo Town; Baijiatuan Village, Wenquan Village, and Yangjiazhuang Village in Wenquan Town; Lengquan Village and Hanjiachuan Village in Northwest Wang Town; and Xiangshan Village (Blocks 1 and 2) in Sijiqing Town. The geographical coordinates are: 116°03′ to 116°16′ east longitude, and 39°58′ to 40°06′ north latitude. The planting area covers approximately 270 hectares, with an annual yield of about 1,600 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　HaiDian Yubada Apricot fruits are relatively large, weighing 50–70 grams each. They are flat-round in shape with a slightly indented top. The fruit stalk cavity is broad and shallow, with flat shoulders. When ripe, the base color of the skin is yellow-white, with bright red blush on the sun-exposed side. The flesh is fine, soft, and juicy, with a rich aroma and a sweet-sour taste. The stone is semi-free, and the kernel is sweet. The quality is excellent. The fruit contains 10.0%–13.0% soluble solids, 1.60%–1.80% acid content, and 6–6.5 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of fresh fruit. Production and sales must strictly comply with national and local standards such as the "Pesticide Safe Use Guidelines" (GB4285-1989), "Environmental Conditions for Origin of Pollution-Free Forest and Fruit Products" (NY5013-2006), "General Principles for Rational Fertilizer Use" (NY/T496-2002), and "Comprehensive Techniques for Pollution-Free Production of Fresh Eating Apricots" (DB11/T435-2007).