Sangzi Watermelon

Sangzi Watermelon

Sangzi Watermelon is a product with geographical indication.

　　Sangzi Watermelon is a specialty of Jixian County in Tianjin.

　　Sangzi Town is located in the southwest of Jixian County, on the eastern bank of the Ju River, near the border between Beijing and Tianjin. With its fertile land, it is a place rich in natural beauty and talent. Many years ago, Sangzi became widely known for its three distinctive local products — radishes, watermelons, and bean sheets — which were locally hailed as the “Three Treasures.” Thanks to its special sandy soil, along with abundant water resources and sweet-tasting water, “Sangzi Watermelon” boasts excellent quality. According to the Jixian County Annals, during the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing era, watermelons, melons, and pointed melons were already cultivated within the region. Planting became widespread during the Qing Dynasty and the Republican period. They are mainly distributed across the plains, particularly in areas such as Sangzi, Mafang, He Village, Hongqi Zhuang, and Jinshuitun, collectively referred to as Sangzi Watermelon. Owing to the special sandy soil and abundant, sweet water sources, Sangzi Watermelon is known both within and outside the county for its high sugar content and refreshing sweetness. Each year, it is sold to regions including Beijing, Tianjin, the northeast, and Inner Mongolia, forming a significant local industry. In recent years, Sangzi Town has successfully hosted the Sangzi Premium Watermelon Festival for ten consecutive years, participating in the Beijing National Watermelon Competition multiple times and winning numerous awards.

　　Region:

　　Tianjin

　　Applicant:

　　Tianjin Jixian County Agricultural Vegetable Technology Service Station

　　Region:

　　2014

　　Regional Scope

　　Sangzi Town is situated at the southwestern edge of Jixian County’s urban area, on the eastern bank of the Ju River, facing Sanhe City in Hebei Province across the river. Its geographical coordinates are between 117°08′31″ to 117°24′03″ east longitude and 39°52′45″ to 40°01′59″ north latitude. It is 30 km from Jixian County’s urban center, 100 km from Tianjin, and 75 km from Beijing. The town covers an area of 60 square kilometers, with 4,705.93 hectares of arable land. It boasts favorable land resources and a strong agricultural tradition, making it a typical plain agricultural town. The production area of Sangzi Watermelon includes eight administrative villages within Sangzi Town: Xinzhuang, Sangzi, Mafang, Guining Tun, He Village, Gu Zhuangzi, Jinshuitun, and Hongqi Zhuang. The planting area spans 1,000 hectares, including 666.67 hectares under protected cultivation and 333.33 hectares in open fields, with an annual total output of 45,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Features: Sangzi Watermelons are uniform in size, neat and consistent in shape, round and well-formed. The exterior has a smooth rind with a fresh green color covered in fine stripes and a waxy bloom. When cut open, the flesh shows no hollows, white fibers, or yellow patches. The rind is thin yet tough. The flesh is uniformly bright red, with a grainy texture. The pulp is deep red, juicy, crisp, and tender, with a balanced firmness, fine texture, minimal fiber, and a refreshing, delicious taste. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: The central sugar content of Sangzi Watermelon ranges from 11.0% to 11.3%, the edge sugar content from 8.2% to 9.2%, the sugar-acid ratio from 46 to 47, Vitamin C (Vc) from 6.5 to 6.9 mg/100g, lycopene from 40.8 to 66.3 mg/kg, crude fiber content at 0.1%, and moisture content from 97.2% to 98.1%. 3. Product Quality and Safety Standards: The growing environment and product quality of Sangzi Watermelon meet the national mandatory technical specifications. During production, the NY5109-2002 standard for "Pollution-Free Watermelons" is followed.