Red Gate Radish

Red Gate Radish

　　　The Red Gate Radish refers to the crisp "Xinlimi" (Red Heart Inside) radish produced in the Xihongmen area of Daxing District. It is a renowned local specialty of Daxing. The "Xinlimi" radish is a traditional Beijing farm variety with green skin and a red core. Its flesh is crisp, juicy, and sweet, and it boasts disease resistance and good storability. Typically sown in autumn and available in winter and spring, it can be used in cooking or eaten as a fruit.

　　The soil in the Xihongmen area is sandy, making it suitable for radish cultivation. Local farmers have a long history of growing the "Xinlimi" radish, with the radishes from the Lu family being especially famous. As early as the 1930s, there was a saying in the southern part of Beijing: "The Xihongmen radish can open the city gate." It is said that on the Qingming Festival of 1935, in recognition of outstanding vegetable growers in the suburbs of Beijing, then Mayor of Beiping Yuan Liang awarded the Lu family of Xihongmen a plaque inscribed with "Exemplary Villager." Through years of hands-on experience, Xihongmen locals have developed a unique set of techniques for cultivating and storing radishes. The resulting "Xinlimi" radishes are not dry or spicy, but crisp, sweet, and delicious—smooth in the mouth without any grittiness or residue, and can be stored well beyond the Spring Festival. In addition, thanks to their digestive and intestinal-moistening benefits, as well as their lung-clearing and cough-relieving effects, there is a local saying: "Better eat radish than pear." In 1984, the "broad-leaf Xinlimi" radish from Xihongmen was designated as an excellent variety by the Beijing Crop Variety Approval Committee. The village of Xihongmen has repeatedly provided "Xinlimi" radishes to the "Lao She Teahouse" for public tasting. In 1991, the radish was first exported to Japan. The planting area exceeded 5,000 acres, and cultivation extended southward from Xihongmen to nearby villages such as Gaomidian and Huangcun.