Fangshan Mopan Persimmon

Fangshan Mopan Persimmon

The Fangshan Mopan Persimmon is a protected geographical indication product.

The Fangshan Mopan Persimmon is a certified geographical indication trademark.

　　The “Mopan Persimmon,” named for its large size and shape resembling a “grinding millstone,” is produced in Fangshan District, Beijing, China. The Mopan Persimmon has a long history. It is said that persimmon trees were cultivated in Fangshan as early as the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1399 AD). The Fangshan County Annals compiled during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1573–1620 AD) recorded, “Persimmons are the main produce of this region. In the northwest He Tao Gully and the southwest Zhangfang Gully, there is hardly a village without them. Among those sold in Beijing, those from Fangshan make up the majority. They are as big as a fist and as sweet as honey.” They were designated as an imperial tribute by Emperor Zhu Di.

　　The Mopan Persimmon features bright-colored fruit, typically orange-yellow, and has a sweet taste. Since ancient times, it has been praised, once earning the reputation of “more golden in color than gold-thread silk, and sweeter than jade nectar.” The poet Zhang Zhongshu praised it in his poem Ode to the Persimmon: “Its flavor surpasses the blossoms of the splendorous grove, its color outshines the crimson of the Yangjing well. Lightly coated in wax, wrapped in tender layers of cream—no earthly nectar can compare.” According to tests, every 100 grams of fresh fruit contains 0.7 grams of protein—3.5 times that of apples and 7 times that of pears; 0.16 mg of vitamin A—twice that of apples and 16 times that of pears; 4.16 mg of vitamin C—three times that of apples and five times that of pears; and 0.2 mg of vitamin PP. Additionally, it is rich in carbohydrates as well as minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, and contains various amino acids essential to the human body. It provides a high amount of calories and supplies multiple nutrients.

　　The geographical indication protection area for Fangshan Mopan Persimmon is defined according to the scope proposed in the Fangshan District Government’s Proposal on Defining the Protection Area for the Geographical Indication Product “Fangshan Mopan Persimmon” (Fang Zheng Han [2006] No. 2), covering the current administrative regions of 11 towns and townships in Fangshan District, Beijing: Shidu Town, Zhangfang Town, Dashiwuo Town, Changgou Town, Hancunhe Town, Zhoukoudian Town, Chengguan Subdistrict, Yancun Town, Qinglonghu Town, Hebei Town, and Fozizhuang Township.