Ginkgo Trees in Enyang

Ginkgo Trees in Enyang

　　As early as over 700 years ago, wild ginkgo trees were introduced and planted in courtyards. Deep in the mountains of Enyang District grow several ancient ginkgo trees, but none have documented records. After the liberation, people’s understanding of ginkgo gradually deepened, and the pace of development and utilization accelerated. During the national survey of biological resources, it was found that large numbers of wild ginkgo trees are distributed across the vast forests of Enyang District. The unique ecosystem formed by the local soil, water, and climate has made the area within a 100-square-kilometer radius a paradise for ginkgo trees, recognized by experts as the optimal habitat for their growth.

　　　　Since then, Enyang District has embarked on the journey of artificially cultivating ginkgo. In 1976, Bazhong established the Enyang Ginkgo Development Command to carry out artificial cultivation in Enyang Town and Liulin Town. In 1982, the Enyang Ginkgo Research Institute was founded. A large number of professional technicians, under the guidance of experts from the Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Sichuan Provincial Natural Resources Research Institute, conducted research on artificial cultivation, variety selection, and disease prevention using the wild ginkgo resources in Enyang District, achieving a series of scientific and technological results. The Enyang No. 1 and No. 2 ginkgo varieties, selected from the wild resources, won the Sichuan Provincial Government Science and Technology Progress Award and received multiple awards at agricultural expos.

　　　　In 2002, Bazhou District was listed as a national agricultural standardization demonstration zone, marking a historic opportunity for Enyang ginkgo to transform from an industrial advantage into a brand advantage. The Bazhou District Party Committee and District Government adjusted and strengthened the leadership team for creating the national Enyang Ginkgo Standardization Demonstration Zone, and set up technical, material supply, sales and processing, and supervision and inspection working groups. Each group performed its duties and coordinated efforts, signing responsibility agreements with relevant towns and departments to break down tasks, assign responsibilities, and implement effective measures to vigorously promote the standardized production of Enyang ginkgo. Additionally, 1.3 million yuan was invested to establish an agricultural product testing center, conducting sampling inspections on ginkgo products produced by farmers, thereby achieving full monitoring of Enyang ginkgo from “field to table.”

　　　Currently, the district has built 20,000 mu of standardized Enyang ginkgo demonstration gardens, which have driven the development of 200,000 mu across the region. Processing plants have been established with an annual capacity to extract 2,000 tons of ginkgo ketone and produce 1,000 tons of ginkgo tea, becoming an important channel for increasing farmers’ income and prosperity.