Enyang Ginger

Enyang Ginger

　　Enyang has a long history of growing ginger. The Republican-era *Bazhong County Annals* listed Enyang ginger alongside silk, medicinal herbs, and timber from Bazhong as export commodities. Rich in amino acids and with a warm, pungent, and delicious flavor, Enyang ginger is an essential seasoning in cooking. It also offers medicinal benefits such as inducing perspiration to relieve the exterior, soothing the stomach and preventing vomiting, clearing the lungs and resolving phlegm, as well as warming yang and eliminating water retention. It is also a primary ingredient in processed pickled vegetables. It is a natural green health food. In the ancient town of Enyang, there is still a well-preserved 176-meter-long "Ginger Market Street" dedicated exclusively to ginger trading. Enyang features low hilly terrain with a subtropical humid monsoon climate, and an average annual temperature of 17.5°C, making it highly suitable for ginger cultivation. The main production areas are distributed around Enyang in Taniqiao, Mingyangchang, and Qingmuqiao, with the town cultivating ginger on approximately 8,000 mu of land annually, yielding around 17,500 tons per year. In the past, ginger was mainly transported to Chongqing via the Enyang River. It is now sold to regions such as Xinjiang, Gansu, Liaoning, Hebei, Chongqing, Guiyang, and Chengdu. Ginger cultivation has become an important project for enriching the local people of Enyang and is a key industry in the development of the rural economy in Enyang.