What Specialties Does Chongzuo Have?

Chongzuo lies at the headwaters of the Zuojiang River, surrounded by rolling mountains and rivers. Featuring diverse landforms and a mild climate, the city boasts abundant local products. Its most renowned specialties are star anise, kuding tea and bird's eye chilies. Thanks to a long cultivation history and unique natural conditions, these products enjoy superior quality and large output, earning a solid reputation at home and abroad.

Besides them, Kanglang fish and bighead carp from Jiangchuan, Chinese cinnamon, amomum villosum and fingered citron (traditional Chinese medicinal herbs) from Ningming, as well as longan and dried longan from Daxin are also widely famous and well-received.

In Pingxiang, a border city, visitors only need a 1-yuan ticket to enter Puzai Border Market. A wide range of Vietnamese goods such as coffee, perfume, hats and rosewood handicrafts are sold here at affordable prices, and bargaining is welcome. It is an ideal spot for tourist shopping.

Tiandeng Bird's Eye Chili is a premium chili variety cultivated exclusively in the distinctive soil and climate of Tiandeng County, Chongzuo. The small peppers grow upright on the plants, with thick flesh and bright red skin. They deliver an intense spiciness and rich mellow aroma, boasting exceptional quality.

It was awarded the title of "High-Quality Product" by the former Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of China in 1983, and is known worldwide as "the Spiciest Chili Under Heaven". Tiandeng County is Guangxi's sole designated export base for bird's eye chilies, with an annual export volume of 50 tons. The products are sold to Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa and other regions.

Fresh chilies can be used directly as condiments, or pickled into chili sauce, sweet and sour chili cans and other processed foods. They can also be refined into capsanthin and capsaicin products. Dried chilies, after being ground, serve as common seasonings or processed into chili powder for sale.

Star anise produced in Tiandeng County, Chongzuo, was already well-known in Hong Kong and Macao even before the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The county now has 98,000 mu of star anise plantations, yielding over 6,000 tons of fresh fruits annually, equivalent to roughly 2,000 tons of dried star anise. Harvests take place twice a year, from March to April and August to September. Tiandeng star anise features plump fruits and superior quality.

Dried star anise, also called fennel or Chinese five-spice, is widely used for pickling vegetables and cooking. It is an essential condiment across China.

Tiandeng County in Chongzuo has a centuries-long history of kuding tea cultivation. Currently, the tea plantations cover more than 5,000 mu, producing over 450 tons of fresh tea leaves each year, which can be processed into more than 100 tons of high-grade tea in ball, flower and strip shapes.

In ancient times, kuding tea was a prized tribute for nobles and dignitaries. Modern medical research at home and abroad has found that besides amino acids and catechins contained in ordinary tea, kuding tea also contains medicinal ingredients such as ursolic acid and β-amyrin.

It is internationally praised as the "Beauty Tea" and "Longevity Tea". The tea tastes bitter at first and then leaves a sweet aftertaste, stimulating abundant saliva. It helps relieve summer heat, detoxify the body, improve eyesight, refresh the mind, invigorate the stomach and aid digestion. Regular consumption helps alleviate gastroenteritis, sore throat and hypertension, and also works to lower blood pressure and prevent cancer.