Nanzhang Jujubes

Nanzhang Jujubes

Nanzhang jujubes are a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Distinctive Qualities

　　　　Large fruit size, tender flesh, sweet and crisp

　　Nanzhang jujubes are widely known for their large size, sweetness, and crispness. Since ancient times, they have been valued for their nourishing effects such as enriching blood and calming the nerves, strengthening the spleen and stomach, protecting the liver and beautifying the skin, boosting qi and enhancing vitality. They can also neutralize medicinal toxins, harmonize various herbs, and affect all twelve meridians. The main varieties of Nanzhang jujubes include: round jujube, long jujube, Ling jujube, Sanxing jujube, pear jujube, and Jun jujube, among which the pear jujube and Jun jujube are of the highest quality. These jujubes each have their own unique characteristics, generally belonging to medium or larger varieties. They feature thin and shiny skins, delicate and crisp flesh, deliciously sweet taste, small seeds, and an edible rate of 95%. Moreover, they are resistant to storage and transport, making them suitable for fresh consumption, drying, and processing.

　　Nanzhang District has a long history of jujube cultivation. As early as the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, local farmers began developing jujube orchards on their own. The soil in Nanzhang District is fertile, with vast mountainous areas, and the geographical landscape is characterized as “eight parts mountain, half part water, and half part field.” The climate is a warm temperate monsoon continental type, which is highly conducive to agricultural industrialization. Over half of the farmland in the district is high-efficiency economic land, with a multiple cropping index exceeding 1.2. There is a wide variety of fruit trees, especially jujube trees.

　　Faced with the challenge of resource depletion, the Nanzhang District government promptly adjusted the economic structure and vigorously developed a mountain-based economy centered on jujube planting, changing people's negative impression of Nanzhang as a place piled high with coal waste, shrouded in coal smoke, and covered in coal dust.

　　Through the efforts of leaders such as Meng Fanqing, head of the Commercial Advertising Division of the Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce, and Zheng Sheng, director of the Nanzhang District Administration for Industry and Commerce, the “Nanzhang Jujube” geographical indication certification trademark was successfully registered on March 7, 2007, earning it the “national standard” label. It is the fourth type of geographical indication trademark in Liaoning Province, following rice, Anguo pears, and strawberries, and the first fresh jujube geographical indication trademark in the province. Today, the planted area of Nanzhang jujubes has reached 25,000 mu, with 11.4 million trees, and the total jujube yield has surpassed 3,000 tons.

　　Nanzhang District is located in the western Liaoning corridor, at the golden triangle junction of Huludao, Jinzhou, and Chaoyang cities, enjoying extremely convenient transportation. Currently, Nanzhang jujubes are sold to border trade open cities across the country, such as Heihe, Suifenhe, and Manzhouli, sometimes shipping out several truckloads in a single day. Jujube sales have become an important channel for Nanzhang farmers to achieve prosperity.

　　Every golden autumn when the jujubes ripen, vast expanses of bright red jujubes blaze across the mountains and valleys, stretching as far as the eye can see. With a gentle tap of a bamboo pole on the tree, it’s as if a “jujube rain” begins, with the fruits falling “rustle-rustle” to cover the ground. Everyone is busy and joyful, with the fiery red hues reflecting on the faces of the people of Nanzhang. Strolling through the rustic, fragrant jujube orchards and listening to timeless legends about the “King Jujube Tree,” the “General Tree,” and the “Three Officials Tree,” one might feel as though “the breeze just descended from the Two Immortals Pavilion, and songs rise as people ascend the Jade Emperor Platform,” as if immersed in a heavenly paradise. The jujubes, ruby-red in color, hang from green branches, crisp to the bite, sweet with a hint of fragrance, and fragrant with an undertone of sweetness. No wonder someone wrote a poem praising them: “The mischievous monkey peeks between the branches—how could peaches compare to the freshness of these divine jujubes?”

　　Chinese jujube culture has a long and rich history. Among foods that express “blessings,” “wishes for longevity,” “New Year greetings,” “celebrations,” or “gifts and respect,” jujubes are always essential. We extend these beautiful wishes to the hometown of jujubes, wishing Nanzhang jujubes even greater success, going beyond China to reach the world.