Yan Mountain Chestnuts

Yan Mountain Chestnuts

Yan Mountain Chestnuts are a protected geographical indication product.

　　The Yan Mountains are located on the northern side of the Hebei Plain in China. Stretching roughly from east to west from the Chao Bai River Valley to Shanhaiguan, they extend over 300 kilometers. They are a fold-fault-block mountain range with elevations ranging between 400 to 1,000 meters. To the north, they connect with the Qilaotu and Nulu’erhu Mountains, while to the south lies the Hebei Plain, creating a significant elevation difference. The Luan River cuts through the mountains, forming passes such as Xifengkou, and the Chao River carves out ancient passes like Gubeikou, which have long served as key north-south transit routes. The region also holds great military significance, frequently becoming a focal point in both ancient and modern conflicts. Yan Mountain chestnuts are a highlight of the Yan Mountains and are highly esteemed in international markets.

　　Chestnuts are referred to as "woody grain" and are often praised as "iron crops." They are delicious, sweet, and highly nutritious, traditionally regarded as a premium food. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, chestnuts are sweet in flavor and warm in nature, with benefits for the stomach, spleen, kidneys, bones, blood circulation, and hemostasis, making them highly valuable medicinally. It is recorded that consuming two or three roasted chestnuts can quickly cure severe diarrhea caused by internal cold. Chestnuts are one of China’s traditional export commodities. Sun Simiao, a renowned Tang Dynasty physician, once said, “Chestnuts are the fruit of the kidneys; those with kidney issues should eat them. Eating them raw can treat weakness in the waist and legs.” Li Shizhen, a Ming Dynasty medical expert, noted in his famous work Compendium of Materia Medica that eating chestnuts can boost qi and blood, nourish the stomach, support the kidneys, and strengthen the liver and spleen. Eating them raw can also relieve soreness in the waist and legs, improve circulation, and help alleviate cold-induced diarrhea. Their nourishing effects are comparable to those of ginseng, astragalus, and angelica, yet they are more affordable and readily available, which is why they have been highly regarded by physicians throughout history.

　　Currently, chestnut cultivation in China spans 24 provinces (including municipalities and autonomous regions), with both planting area and production experiencing rapid growth. In 1980, national chestnut production was 67,300 tons; by 2003, it had reached 715,000 tons, accounting for approximately 69.0% of the global total. By 2005, production hit 1,031,900 tons, ranking first in the world.

　　Among these, Yan Mountain chestnuts, located in the Yan Mountains, belong to the North China variety group. With a long cultivation history, they are known for their unique sweet, fragrant, and glutinous flavor, primarily grown in the Hebei and Beijing areas within the Yan Mountain range. Also called Jingdong chestnuts, Yan Mountain chestnuts hold a unique position in China’s chestnut production. As a traditional export commodity, they are well-known both domestically and internationally.

　　In recent years, as our city has actively implemented national policies, vigorously developed the chestnut industry, promoted standardized chestnut production, and strengthened the construction of standardized demonstration bases, the production of Yan Mountain chestnuts has become more varietal, large-scale, and industrialized. This has significantly improved both the yield and quality of Yan Mountain chestnuts. Currently, the chestnut planting area in four districts and counties—Miyun County, Changping District, Pinggu District, and Yanqing County—totals 26,270 hectares, with an annual output exceeding 14.5 million kilograms and a production value of 123.4 million yuan, involving 57,700 farming households.

　　The Beijing Yan Mountain Chestnut Planting Base is located in Beizhuang Village, Changling Town, Changping District, Beijing, situated in the northern mountainous area of Changping. The village covers a total area of 7 square kilometers and has 326 farming households. It is reported that the current chestnut planting area in Changping District is over 40,000 mu (approximately 2,667 hectares), with an annual output of 1.15 million kilograms, making it a major local export product. For many years, the chestnuts have been exported to Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Southeast Asia, with around 25,000 tons shipped to Japan annually. They hold an unshakable brand advantage in China’s chestnut exports.

　　In recent years, with strong support from the Changping District Committee, the village’s Party and community leadership have rallied party members and residents to work hard and make full use of natural and atmospheric water resources. They have enhanced water infrastructure, leveraged environmental advantages, and encouraged households to develop industries such as free-range chicken farming, folk tourism, and traditional fruit production. The Beijing Yan Mountain Chestnut Planting Base is a local specialty industry and a professional service provider integrating fruit tree cultivation, fruit picking, and the sale of fresh and dried fruits. Its main “Yanlilai” brand products include chestnuts and walnuts. In September 2008, the base’s “Yanlilai” brand chestnuts were honored with the title of “China Famous Fruit.”

　　The chestnut business mainly focuses on red chestnuts, which feature large kernels (about 40 per half kilogram), glossy and shiny appearance, tender texture, sweet and fragrant taste, and high glutinosity. Coupled with the region’s favorable geography and scientific cultivation and management techniques, the chestnuts produced here are renowned both at home and abroad. Yan Mountain chestnuts are attractively shaped with small bases; the fruit is uniformly well-formed, averaging 120–140 nuts per kilogram, with larger ones reaching 80 per kilogram. Their color is reddish-brown, bright and glossy, with a thin wax coating, thin skin, and a firmer, denser texture compared to chestnuts from other regions. The kernels are light yellow, easy to peel, and do not stick to the inner skin. The kernels contain less than 52% moisture, about 4% protein, over 38% carbohydrates, over 2% dietary fiber, over 40 mg/kg of vitamin E, over 150 mg/kg of calcium, over 4.5 mg/kg of iron, over 230 mg/kg of vitamin C, as well as abundant carotene and various beneficial trace elements and amino acids.

　　In recent years, the export volume of Yan Mountain chestnuts has continued to expand, selling well in countries and regions such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Japanese buyers specifically request Yan Mountain chestnuts, which have gained a high reputation in the international market and widespread fame.

　　The protected geographical indication area for Yan Mountain chestnuts is defined according to the scope proposed in the Beijing Municipal People’s Government’s Letter on Applying for the Definition of the Origin Range of Yan Mountain Chestnuts Geographical Indication Products (Jing Zheng Han [2007] No. 104). This includes the following 28 towns and townships under the jurisdiction of Beijing: Shicheng, Fengjiayu, Bulaotun, Beizhuang, Taishitun, Gaoling, Dachengzi, Jugongzhuang, Mujiaoyu, Xiwengzhuang in Miyun County; Changling, Shisanling, Xingshou, Cuicun, and Nankou in Changping District; Zhenluoying, Dahuashan, Liujiadian, Shandongzhuang, Jinhaihu, Wangxinzhuang, Nandulehe, Yukou, Xiongerzhai Township, and Huangsongyu Township in Pinggu District; and Kezhuang Township, Sihaixiang, and Zhenzhuquan Township in Yanqing County.