Sanlin Cracked Melon

Sanlin Cracked Melon

Sanlin Cracked Melon is an agricultural geographical indication product.

　　Sanlin Cracked Melon is a specialty of Pudong, Shanghai.

　　According to the *Shanghai County Annals* from the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, the most famous watermelon in the Shanghai suburbs was the Sanlintang Cracked Melon. Unlike the usual round shape, it is oblong, slightly thicker in the middle, with a pale bluish rind featuring a net-like pattern. Each melon is not very large—weighing around two to three pounds—and extremely thin-skinned, so delicate that it can burst at the touch when ripe. Legend has it that the melons would often split open on the ground after thunderstorms or if someone walked too heavily along the ridges of the melon fields, hence the name "Cracked Melon." With its thin skin, yellow flesh, red seeds, and a sweetness level as high as 17 degrees, it offers a refreshing taste and a lingering aftertaste. Originally, Sanlin Cracked Melons were mostly grown in villages in the southeastern part of Sanlin Township, such as Tongji, Dishan, Jinguang, and Nanfu, reaching their peak production in the late Qing and early Republican periods. During the Anti-Japanese War, the invading Japanese army looted the seeds and took them to Japan, where they were renamed "Gabaro." After the liberation, cultivation was planned. During the era when “grain was the priority,” the area under melon cultivation shrank steadily, leading to a gradual decline. In the 1970s, the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences brought back 300 original seeds of the “Gabaro” variety from Japan and handed them to the Sanlin Commune Seed Station. Experienced melon farmers planted 0.7 acres, and although the juice sweetness reached 11 degrees, the flesh texture was fine and far surpassed that of ordinary watermelons, thus maintaining the esteemed reputation of “Sanlintang Cracked Melon.” In 2007, the Pudong New Area officially included “Sanlin Cracked Melon” in its list of traditional brands targeted for rescue and revitalization. To bring the Sanlin Cracked Melon back to prominence, the Sanlin Town Government established a specialized agricultural base for the melon in the Lingkong Agricultural Zone of Chuansha New Town. The base focused on seed improvement and breeding, and with policy support from municipal and district agricultural commissions, the project was listed as part of the initiative to boost agriculture through science and technology. Thanks to the efforts of experts—including purification, rejuvenation, variety selection, and improvement—the Sanlin Cracked Melon has entered mass cultivation while retaining its original premium characteristics.

　　Region: Shanghai

　　Applicant: Shanghai Pudong New Area Agricultural Association

　　Region: 2013

　　Geographical Scope

　　Pudong New Area is located in the eastern part of Shanghai, bordering the Yangtze River estuary to the east, the Wusongkou to the north, the Huangpu River to the west, and adjacent to Minhang District to the south. The total area of Pudong New Area is 533.45 square kilometers. The main body of Pudong New Area originally consisted of the former Chuanshan County and Nanhui District. In January 1993, Chuanshan County was abolished and restructured into a district. The Pudong portions of Yangpu, Huangpu, and Nanshi districts, along with Sanlin from Minhang District, were merged to form Pudong New Area, comprising 29 towns. In May 2009, the State Council approved the merger of Nanhui District into Pudong New Area, resulting in the current 24 towns. The geographical protection scope of the Sanlin Cracked Melon agricultural geographical indication includes 267 villages across 12 towns such as Sanlin Town. The protected area lies between 121°59'80" and 121°86'10" east longitude, and 31°16'49" and 31°30'76" north latitude. The production area within this region spans 9,500 hectares, with a current total yield of 76 tons.