Records of the Grand Historian

Basic Introduction to Shucheng ChestnutsShucheng County is known as the land of chestnuts, with a history of chestnut cultivation spanning 2,000 to 3,000 years. The "Dahongpao" chestnuts produced in Shucheng are large and rich in high nutritional value. Nutritional ValueChestnuts are rich in vitamins B1 and B2, with vitamin B2 content at least four times that of rice. Each 100 grams also contains 24 milligrams of vitamin C, which is unmatched by grains. It may come as a surprise that fresh chestnuts contain more vitamin C than tomatoes, which are renowned for their vitamin C content, and over ten times more than apples! Chestnuts are also rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and manganese. Although they do not reach the levels found in hazelnuts or melons, they still have much higher concentrations than common fruits like apples and pears, especially in potassium, where they surpass even the so-called potassium-rich apples by four times. History and FolkloreA Chinese folk saying goes: "Rambutan in July, hawthorn in August, and chestnuts laughing in September." Chestnuts, also known as Castanea, are often referred to as the "King of Fruits," and along with peaches, apricots, plums, and jujubes, are called the "Five…

According to the Records of the Grand Historian, in the first year of Tianhan (200 BC) during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Commander-in-Middle Su Wu was dispatched to the Xiongnu and detained for a long time, confined in the frigid region of Beihai (present-day Lake Baikal) for many years. Later, the Han dynasty sent envoys demanding that the Xiongnu release Su Wu, but the Chanyu of the Xiongnu lied, claiming that Su Wu had died. Chang Hui, who accompanied Su Wu on his mission to the Xiongnu, secretly met with the Han envoy, informing him that Su Wu was not dead, and told him to say to the Chanyu: The Han Emperor, while hunting in the Shanglin Park, shot a swan goose, which had a piece of silk cloth tied to its foot, stating that Su Wu was in a large marshland. As a result, the Chanyu of the Xiongnu could no longer falsely claim that Su Wu was dead and had to allow him to return to the Han dynasty. There is also a folk tale from the Tang Dynasty about Xue Pinggui, who was away on a distant campaign, while Wang Baochuan remained faithful, enduring hardship…