The only wild citrus species endemic to Taiwan in the world, ─ Nanzhuang Orange, returns to the Saixia people, with special flavor and industrial potential.

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"in the world, only Taiwan has Nanzhuang orange, while Taiwan has it only in the traditional field of the Saixia people." Nanzhuang orange is endemic to Taiwan, and it is also an important folk medical plant of the Saixia people, but it has gradually disappeared with the times, and has even been listed on the red list by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is an extremely endangered species.

With the joint efforts of the Forestry Bureau, Zhongxing University and the Saixia people, Nanzhuang Orange, which has been disobeyed by the tribe for 47 years, finally returned to the mountain forest. The representative of Genzhiyou, the elder of the Saixia clan, accepted the seedlings donated by the Forestry Bureau, and he was very excited to worship his ancestors with Nanzhuang oranges. He also promised to lead his people to plant them attentively, not only to let Nanzhuang oranges blossom and bear fruit in their native land, but also to develop diversified industries to let orange fragrance spread the tribe and prosper Saixia!

The Forestry Bureau presented Nanzhuang Orange Miao wood to the Saixia people. (photo / Yang Yuyun) Nanzhuang Orange "Gada Glaze" is a Saixia national plant, extremely endangered species

Nanzhuang Orange is the national plant of the Saixia people, which is called "Gada Glaze" in the Saixia language. Genzhi recounts the allusion: "it was found by Bada, the ancestor of the Kada tribe, by the stream, because the leaves of the fruit were facing the mother of the ─ Saixia people in Xiaoba Jianshan, so they were named after'ga'(mother) combined with'da'(the name of the discoverer)." What about "glaze"? It turned out that the Saixia people did not have the word "sour". Genzhiyou demonstrated that the Xia people were so sour that they shouted "yoyoyo" when Nanzhuang Orange entered the mouth, and the name of "Gada Glaze" was self-evident.

"Gada Glaze" is not only a daily snack and ethnic medicine of the Saixia people, but also a dry food in the wild or in combat, as well as a ritual sacrifice. Genzhiyou said that they grind the sun-dried Nanzhuang orange into powder and can swallow a little orange powder for both colds and abdominal pain. However, due to the extensive development of its native land and the unpleasant taste, Nanzhuang orange is disappearing day by day, and its rarity has even been listed on the red list by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is an extremely endangered species.