Yunhe Chestnuts

Yunhe Chestnuts

　　Yunhe chestnuts are well-known far and wide and are considered top-quality among chestnuts. Currently, the county has a planting area of 30,000 mu, with an annual output of 400 tons. (Yunhe County)

　　Yunhe chestnuts are a specialty of Yunhe County, Lishui City, Zhejiang Province. They are widely recognized as premium chestnuts, predominantly grown in the reservoir area around Xiaoshun in Shitang Town. The fertile soil and favorable climate give Yunhe chestnuts their distinctive qualities—shiny shells, large size, and sweet flavor.

　　Chestnuts have low requirements for growing conditions, are relatively easy to cultivate and manage, and offer good economic returns, making them one of the key income-generating crops for farmers in Yunhe. Starting in the 1990s, governments at all levels in the county, along with forestry authorities, joined forces to promote chestnut development. This effort was driven by the establishment of science and technology demonstration bases such as Guixiting and Machagang, sparking a chestnut cultivation boom across the region. Over ten years of development, the chestnut economy has become a signature local industry. More than 9,000 chestnut growers in the county have established 28,000 mu of chestnut bases, yielding 3.2 million jin (1.6 million kg) of chestnuts annually, with a total output value of 11 million yuan. This has increased the average annual income of growers by 350 yuan. Most Yunhe chestnuts are grown in low mountainous areas where the climate is ideal, producing chestnuts that are uniform in size, bright-shelled, tender-fleshed, and yellow-hued—making them perfect for candied chestnuts.

　　Yunhe Xianguan Chestnuts were awarded the Gold Prize at the Provincial Agricultural Expo for two consecutive years in 2005 and 2006. “Chestnut-based foods offer excellent health benefits. Traditional Chinese medicine regards the chestnut as the ‘fruit of the kidney.’ Chestnut kernels help nourish kidneys, consolidate vitality, strengthen the spleen, and relieve diarrhea. They are a highly nutritious tonic and a therapeutic remedy, often hailed as the ‘King of Dried Fruits.’”