China Prune Industry Conference 2025 and the 10th Kashgar·Jiashi Prune Expo, Xinjiang, kicked off in August in Jiashi County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

In recent years, Jiashi has become China’s largest plum producer. The county boasts 38,000 hectares of plum orchards with an expected output of 410,000 metric tons this year, and has attracted 25 enterprises to produce 22 types of plum-based products, including juice, dried fruit, wine, and jam.

Blessed with abundant sunlight and trace elements such as calcium, potassium, and selenium in both soil and water, the region offers an ideal environment for growing plums. As a result, the plums are rich in anthocyanins and vitamins, which provide antioxidant and digestive benefits—making them highly popular among consumers.

Located in the Kashgar Prefecture, Jiashi County enjoys an average of 2,800 hours of sunshine annually, with a daily temperature difference of up to 20 degrees Celsius. The soil here is mildly alkaline and rich in selenium. The extreme temperature variations, prolonged sunlight, and excellent soil conditions make this area renowned as China’s “Land of Melons and Fruits.”

Melons have been cultivated here since the Han dynasty, more than two millennia ago. Today, Jiashi’s melons come in 28 varieties, all of exceptional quality. Each one is honey-sweet, incredibly delicious, and leaves a lasting, memorable taste. They offer not just a pleasure for the palate but a balm for the soul, and are hailed as “the finest melon under heaven”.

Sweetness has become the signature flavor of Jiashi County. Yet this sweetness is not merely a natural gift to the palate; it is also a symbolic expression of the local people’s warm hospitality and simple, sincere way of life.

Today, Jiashi’s plum and melons are making their way across the country and beyond to overseas markets. As a historic hub along the ancient Silk Road, Jiashi is now experiencing renewed vitality in economic, trade, and cultural exchanges under the Belt and Road Initiative.