In Putian, Fujian, people often say: “Xinghua Longan is the best in the world.” This is not a boastful local slogan, but a true narrative that spans a thousand years. Longan is not only a sweet fruit on the table in the hearts of Putian people, but also a kind of identity and memory. It is the glory of tribute, the ingenuity of intangible cultural heritage, the legend of the business community, and the future of the industry. Today, as the world re-examines Eastern culture and the health industry, Xinghua Longan is stepping onto the world stage in a new posture.
The depth of history: Tribute and the origin of food and medicine
The cultivation history of Putian Longan has been more than 1600 years, and it was listed as a tribute in the Song Dynasty, and its fame spread far and wide. In ancient courts and among the people, longan was not only sought after for its sweetness, but also given unique value because of its food and medicine properties. “Compendium of Materia Medica” records that it can “benefit the heart and spleen, replenish qi and blood, and calm the mind and wisdom”. There is also a saying among the people that “Southern Longan, Northern Ginseng”, which shows its status as a tonic equivalent to ginseng.
By the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, Putian Longan had become a common prescription in Shanghai’s Chinese medicine shops, sold in the form of “Jiechun Pills”, each carrying the meaning of both medicine and food. It is not only a fruit, but also a crystallization of the wisdom of ancient health preservation, and a vivid footnote in Chinese culture that “food is medicine”.
The art of roasting: Intangible cultural heritage skills
Fresh longan is delicate and easy to rot, but the people of Putian have transformed it into enduring dried longan with their thousand-year-old craftsmanship. Today, this craft has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.
The drying of longan requires nine processes, which are complicated and meticulous: picking, pruning, soaking, shaking sand, pre-drying, initial roasting, screening, re-roasting, and packaging. The most unique are “shaking sand” and “slow roasting with fruit wood”. Shaking sand allows the fruit shell to heat evenly, and roasting insists on using longan wood and litchi wood, the fire is gentle, and the wood fragrance permeates the flesh. After several days of slow fire, the dried longan has a dark color and a sweet taste, becoming an “artwork of fire and time”.
This ancient method is not only a technique, but also a cultural heritage. It allows the fruit to travel through time and space and become a collectible work of art.
The Voyage of the Business Community: Prosperity Brought by a Fruit
The birth of dried longan has enabled Putian Longan to break through regional limitations and reach the whole country and even overseas. Since the Song Dynasty, longan has become the core product of Xinghua’s foreign trade. Putian merchants built a trade network that spanned Jiangnan and Jianghuai, and even exported to Goryeo, Vietnam, and Ryukyu.
By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Putian business community had formed a pattern of “no prosperity without Xinghua” – a prosperous market town would be hard to thrive without Putian merchants. Longan not only supported countless families but also nurtured the entrepreneurial spirit of Putian people. Looking back today, it is not only a legend in fruit trade but also a microcosm of the regional economy and cultural character of southern China.
Rich Gene Pool: Diversity of Varieties
The climate and soil of Putian give longan a unique advantage. The city has more than 80 native varieties, ranking first in the country, and can be called the “gene bank of longan”.
“Wulongling” is favored for its suitability for drying; “Shuinan No.1” is famous for its large fruit; “Youtanben” has become the main force of fruit farmers with its high and stable yield; and “Lidongben” as the latest mature variety, effectively extends the supply period. This diversity of varieties gives Putian longan competitiveness in the market and provides valuable resources for future agricultural innovation.
Global Strategy: Dual Attack of Health and Culture
With the rapid development of the global health industry today, the value of longan is becoming increasingly prominent. It is not only a snack and dried fruit, but also a natural health product.
In the future, the strategic blueprint for Xinghua Longan is clear:
- Health market: With dried longan, longan tea, and longan paste as the core, enter the global natural health food and functional food track. Longan can become an important symbol of Chinese medicine culture in the international market.
- Cultural market: Relying on the intangible cultural heritage skills and the historical reputation of “Xinghua Longan is the best in the world”, build a longan museum and cultural experience hall to form a “industry + cultural tourism” dual-drive. Longan is no longer just food, but a cultural experience, an output of oriental lifestyle.
The World Journey of a Fruit
One of the four famous fruits of Putian, Putian Longan, from tribute to business group, from intangible cultural heritage skills to the global market, every step of it is full of historical depth and future possibilities. It is not only the pillar of Putian’s agriculture, but also a flag of Chinese culture.
A longan, sweet for a thousand years; a bite of longan, condenses the spirit of a city.
Today, when Xinghua Longan goes out of Putian, what it carries is the dream of China’s fruit industry and the confidence of Oriental culture to the world.
The copyright of this article belongs to the “World Mazu Culture Alliance”, which has been translated into more than 20 languages worldwide, covering more than 50 countries and regions, demonstrating the global influence of Mazu culture. Readers from various countries can click the link below to read the corresponding language version. Responsible editor: Lin Bingbin, Luo Fujin New York report. Photography: Chen Huifang. Please indicate the source and keep the author information when reprinting. Thank you for your attention and support.
