Basic Introduction to Tongxian Pomelo
Tongxian Pomelo is a specialty of Anyue County, Ziyang City, Sichuan Province and a Chinese national geographical indication product. After nearly a decade of vigorous development, Anyue County has now formed a production scale of 8 million trees covering 100,000 mu (approx. 16,500 acres) with an annual output of 50,000 tons. It is expected that during the peak production period, the yield could reach 300,000 tons. The Tongxian Pomelo is concentrated in five townships and one town in Anyue County, forming a 100-mile long corridor. Technology demonstration gardens have been established in each of the six townships. The Tongxian Pomelo has developed into an industrialized model integrating production, supply, and sales, becoming the “fruit of prosperity” for farmers in the production area. Since 1992, the Tongxian Pomelo has won the Gold Cup Award in national quality pomelo evaluations six times in a row and received a gold medal at the Second China Agriculture Expo. It is registered under the “Tongxian” trademark.
The climate in Anyue County is characterized by a subtropical monsoon climate with distinct seasons, mild winters, early springs, simultaneous rainfall and heat, abundant precipitation, uneven distribution over time and space, frequent winter droughts, spring droughts, summer droughts followed by autumn rains, sufficient sunlight, a long frost-free period, and low wind speeds. The average annual temperature is 18.5°C, and the annual average sunshine duration is 1,192.7 hours. The annual average precipitation is 924.9 millimeters, with an average of 147.7 rainy days per year. Rainfall is concentrated from May to September, with July being the wettest month. The rivers within Anyue County belong to the Yangtze River basin, covering an area of 2,689.4 square kilometers. There are two secondary rivers totaling 45.3 kilometers in length, eleven tertiary rivers totaling 274.5 kilometers in length, and 287 quaternary rivers. The total river runoff volume is 830 million cubic meters, and the annual flood discharge capacity is 510 million cubic meters, making it suitable for growing Tongxian Pomelos.
Geographical Scope
The geographical protection area for the Tongxian Pomelo agricultural product covers 73 administrative villages across six townships: Tongxian Town, Shigu Township, Renhe Township, Changheyuan Township, Tuanjie Township, and Tianma Township within Anyue County. The geographic coordinates are: 105°28′-105°39′ East Longitude, 30°16′-30°19′ North Latitude. The eastern boundary reaches Zhongpo Village in Changheyuan Township, the western boundary reaches Shuangqu Village in Shigu Township, the southern boundary reaches Gaoguan Village in Tuanjie Township, and the northern boundary reaches Jinxian Village in Shigu Township. The area covers 3,000 hectares with a yield of 34,000 tons.
Product Characteristics
The fruit color is orange-yellow, with a thin peel that is easy to remove; the flesh is tender and juicy, with a rich flavor, and excellent quality. The edible rate is 63.5%, soluble solids content exceeds 12%, sugar content is 9.84 grams per 100 milliliters, acid content is 0.78 grams per 100 milliliters, and vitamin C content is 46.64 milligrams per 100 milliliters. The fruit matures in mid-November, and the seeds are degenerate. The Tongxian Pomelo is high-quality and productive, with 20-year-old trees capable of producing 400-600 fruits per tree. It has broad adaptability and is a superior variety for development in Sichuan.
Historical Folklore
In the 1920s, the Tongxian Pomelo was introduced from Zhangzhou, Fujian using the pot canning method and planted in Village 1, Township 3, Tongxian Town, Anyue County, Sichuan. Due to its superior quality, it was named Imperial Orange.
Before 1949, Anyue County propagated it using high-pressure methods, resulting in several dozen trees concentrated near Tongxian Town.
After 1949, the number of trees in Anyue County fluctuated due to repeated planting and cutting, falling below ten thousand.
In the early 1980s, after evaluation by relevant experts, it was determined that the characteristics of the Anyue Pomelo had undergone changes, indicating the emergence of a new variety.
In 1986, the commercial name “Tongxian Pomelo” was adopted in Anyue County.
In 1986, Anyue County began large-scale cultivation of Tongxian Pomelo.