Top Ten Local Specialties of Benxi

Huanren Mountain Ginseng refers to ginseng produced in Huanren Manchu Autonomous County, Liaoning Province. It is cultivated by sowing ginseng seeds into suitable forest environments within Huanren County and growing naturally for more than 15 years. It features a natural shape, firm aged bark and high content of active ingredients. Its medicinal and commercial value is equivalent to that of wild mountain ginseng.

Huanren Manchu Autonomous County lies in the Changbai Mountain Range, known as a land of "eight mountains, one river and one tenth of farmland". It is an important production base for wild ginseng, ganoderma lucidum and other small and medium-sized medicinal herbs. For hundreds of years, the ginseng industry has been a major source of income for mountain residents.

Originally known as Imperial Tribute Rice, Huanren Rice comes from Huanren Manchu Autonomous County. Located in the mountainous eastern part of Liaoning, Huanren boasts clean water. The Hunjiang River Basin has long been a key producing area for high-quality rice. The grains are white as jade and taste fragrant when cooked. As early as the Qing Dynasty, Huanren Rice was listed as an imperial tribute. After 1949, it was designated by the state as special rice for receiving high-ranking foreign guests, and Huanren was established as a premium rice production base. In 2006, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine granted geographical indication protection to Huanren Rice.

Rice cultivation has a long history in Huanren. In the Qing Dynasty, the Imperial Tribute Rice grown in Erhulai Town of Benxi was presented to the royal court. The rice variety called "Yellow Hairs" was planted in Guangfu Village, Sandaohe Village and Zhujiaopu Village of Erhulai Town. The area has well-preserved secondary forests, fertile elastic soil, unpolluted air and water. Rich in organic matter and total nitrogen, the land is ideal for growing this special rice strain.

Spring is the ideal season for sowing and tree planting. Relying on its advantageous Acanthopanax industry, LianShanguan Town has strived to build a reputation as the "Hometown of Acanthopanax Senticosus nationwide". Up to now, 3,500 mu of new Acanthopanax has been planted with more than 600,000 seedlings, further expanding the industrial base.

To standardize and scale up the industry, Motianling Village in LianShanguan Town signed contracts with local villagers to contract over 1,200 mu of farmland for Acanthopanax cultivation. Intercropping is adopted for Chinese medicinal herbs including platycodon grandiflorum, clematis and astragalus.

To ensure farmers benefit with zero risks, the village committee signed a five-year contract. All earnings go to the collective within five years. After five years, if farmers wish to run the land themselves, all Acanthopanax plants will belong to them. If they choose not to continue, the village will renew the contract and keep the contracted land.

Meanwhile, the county forestry development bureau provided free medicinal seedlings and sent professional technicians to offer on-site planting guidance at the LianShanguan Acanthopanax Industrial Park in Motianling Village, winning wide public praise.

While expanding planting bases, the town also supports deep-processing enterprises to build famous brands. Benxi Huadu Technology Co., Ltd., a leading processor of Acanthopanax products, enjoys strong market popularity. The Acanthopanax industry has become a pillar of the local economy.

Liao ink slabs produced in Benxi, Liaoning Province, were regarded as premium writing tools more than a century ago. They were once imperial tributes in the Qing Dynasty, famous all across Northeast China. Also known as Qiaotou Stone Ink Slabs, they are carved from purple cloud bluestone quarried near Qiaotou Town of Benxi. New designs keep emerging, and carving craftsmanship has become increasingly sophisticated.

Grown in Sihe Township of Huanren Manchu Autonomous County, this unique premium rice was exclusively supplied to the imperial court during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. It is famous for its pleasant fragrance and rich nutrition.

Huanren Walnut Oil has passed the national review for geographical indication product protection. Experts carefully examined its designated protection zone, quality characteristics, and the links between its quality and local natural and cultural conditions. The panel unanimously confirmed its distinctive regional features.