Daxing Pears

Daxing Pears

　　Daxing District is an important fruit production base in Beijing, with nearly 200,000 mu of fruit trees currently planted. It produces 105 million kilograms of fruit annually, ranking among the top in the suburbs of Beijing. Pears and grapes are the dominant industries in Daxing District. The district has 100,000 mu of pear orchards, accounting for 50% of the total pear orchard area in Beijing, and produces 60 million kilograms of pears annually, ranking first in the suburbs of Beijing; it also has 30,000 mu of grapevines, yielding 15 million kilograms of grapes annually. Pear cultivation in Daxing District has a history of over 400 years. As early as the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, Daxing’s “Golden Handle Yellow” duck pears were served as tributes to the imperial court. In recent years, to meet market demand, more than 90 premium new pear varieties such as Hosui, Golden, Atonashi, Shinsui, Shinseiki, and Garden Yellow, as well as over 60 premium new grape varieties including Red Globe and Autumn Black, have been introduced and promoted. Following strict green and pollution-free food production standards and utilizing advanced cultivation techniques, a safe fruit production system has been established, bringing Daxing's fruits up to export quality. They have been exported to countries such as the UK, Russia, and Southeast Asia. In August 2001, Daxing District was awarded the title of China’s Pear Hometown by the State Forestry Administration. In September 2001, the “Gefu” brand premium pears produced at the base affiliated with the Daxing District Fruit Production and Sales Association were certified as safe food by the Beijing Safe Food Office, with certificate number AQ—07100102—2001. Meanwhile, the “Gefu” brand premium pears also won the Excellent Product Award at China’s First Forestry Science and Technology Expo and the Premium Award at the Third Beijing Agricultural Expo.

　　　Daxing is located in southern Beijing and is historically known as the birthplace of the famous “Golden Handle Yellow” duck pears. The area benefits from convenient transportation, a mild climate, moderate rainfall, and a long frost-free period. In autumn, there is abundant sunlight, warm days and cool nights, with large diurnal temperature variations that help increase sugar content in fruits. The soil consists of sediment from the Yongding River, which is fine and loose, making it highly conducive to the root growth of pear trees. The pears produced in Daxing have fine flesh, abundant juice, strong aroma, and high soluble solids content, making them very popular. Currently, Daxing has 100,000 mu of pear orchards with over 300 varieties, mainly distributed across nine towns including Panggezhuang, Yufa, Anding, Beizangcun, and Weishanzhuang. The fruit yield reaches 130 million kilograms, with a production value of 320 million yuan. Daxing pears are known for their diverse varieties, tender and crisp flesh, juicy sweetness, and rich fragrance. Major varieties include premium pears from the Japanese-Korean series and the European-American European pear series. The Japanese-Korean series premium pears include Golden Pear, Garden Yellow Pear, Hosui Pear, and Akanashi Pear. These are characterized by their strong aroma, crisp and sweet taste, abundant juice, rich nutrients, ease of storage, no need for ripening after harvest, and being ready to eat upon picking.

　　　The European-American European pear series premium pears include Early Red Comice, Bartlett, Concorde, and Kaiser Pear. These are characterized by a smooth and delicate texture, small core, high edible portion, and a mild, pleasant taste—but they require ripening before eating.