Geshi Jujubes: In 1986, Geshi Town in Ningyang County was designated a "Jujube Production Base" by the Ministry of Forestry. In 2000, it was named "Hometown of Jujubes—China's Famous, Special, and High-Quality Economic Forest" by the National Economic Forest Association. Geshi jujubes are characterized by their large size, thin skin, rich aroma, plump flesh, bright red color, sweet and refreshing taste, unique and rich flavor, high trace element content, and high medicinal value. In 1982, Ningyang Geshi Round Red Jujubes were designated as National Health-Promoting Jujubes by the Ministry of Health. In September 1996, they won the title of "Consumer Trusted Product" at the China Shanghai International Agricultural Products Expo. In 2000, they won a gold medal at the first National Jujube Expo. In 2001, they were awarded the title of "High-Quality Product" at the China International Agricultural Expo. In May 2003, forestry and fruit products, mainly Geshi jujubes, passed the provincial pollution-free product verification.
Taishan Red Ganoderma (Ganoderma lucidum) is a medicinal fungus belonging to the Polyporaceae family. Its appearance resembles a colorful mushroom; the cap is irregularly cloud-shaped with interwoven rings and radiating wrinkles; beneath the cap are numerous fine pores; the stalk grows laterally beneath the cap and has a lacquer-like sheen. Every summer, as temperatures rise in Taishan and relative humidity increases in the forest, the diffused sunlight creates favorable conditions for the rapid growth of Taishan Ganoderma. In late autumn, it can be found near decaying oak and maple stumps. The entire plant is used medicinally, with functions including treating deafness, benefiting joints, protecting the spirit, replenishing essence and qi, strengthening bones, treating weakness, and providing tonic and strengthening effects. Taishan Red Ganoderma is a famous specialty of Taishan, a treasure in the Chinese medicine treasury, and a precious and authentic medicinal material.
Taishan Chestnut (also known as Ming Chestnut) is mainly produced in Taishan and Culaishan. Varieties include Taishan Thin-Shelled Chestnut, Cocoon Shed Chestnut, Red Chestnut, Flowerless Chestnut, and Songzaosheng Chestnut. The chestnuts are uniform in size, with thin shells, easy-to-peel inner skin, a glossy color, fine texture, low moisture content, high glutinousness, and a sweet and delicious taste. Taishan chestnuts were designated as a tribute item as early as the Ming and Qing dynasties and were known as "Taishan Sweet Chestnuts." Several chestnut trees dating back to the Ming Dynasty are still preserved in the towns of Xiagang and Huangqian in Daiyue District. Sugar-roasted chestnuts are a traditional Taishan delicacy and can also be processed into chestnut cakes, chestnut pancakes, etc. Examples include sugar-roasted chestnuts, chestnut cakes, chestnut pancakes, and chestnut stewed chicken.
Taishan Polygonum multiflorum (He Shou Wu) is one of the four famous medicinal herbs of Taishan, also known as Taishan White Polygonum multiflorum. It is the dried tuberous root of the plant Polygonum multiflorum (He Shou Wu), belonging to the Asclepiadaceae family. It grows in mountain thickets, under forest slopes, along roadsides, and in meadows at forest edges, and is also found in fields and abandoned land. It is one of the four famous medicinal herbs of Taishan, Shandong Province, and is mainly produced in Shandong and Jiangsu. Taishan Polygonum multiflorum is a perennial twining herb. The upper part of the root is slender, while the middle and lower parts have enlarged tuberous roots, nearly spherical. It mostly grows on mountain slopes and in rock crevices. It is commonly found in places such as Tianzhu Peak and Taohuayuan. It is one of the "Four Famous Medicines of Mount Tai" (white shouwu, four-leaf ginseng, huangjing, and zicao), and has the functions of nourishing the liver and kidneys, replenishing essence and blood, strengthening muscles and bones, blackening hair, and prolonging life.
Taishan Four-Leaf Ginseng
One of the four famous medicinal herbs of Taishan, also known as Goat's Milk or Taishan Ginseng, it is a perennial herb belonging to the genus Codonopsis of the Campanulaceae family. It grows in rock crevices, damp mountain gullies, and shady mountain slopes deep within Taishan. The vines are up to 1 meter long, with solitary flowers at the branch tips or leaf axils. The leaves are four in opposite pairs, hence the name "Four-Leaf Ginseng." The root tuber is large, resembling a carrot, with a rough, dark yellow outer skin. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, relieving phlegm and cough, and strengthening and nourishing the body. Soaking it in white wine and drinking it regularly can relax muscles and promote blood circulation, improve health and replenish qi, earning it the reputation of "Treasure of Taishan." It has significant effects on eliminating fatigue and replenishing qi and oxygen.
Taishan Polygonatum
One of the four famous medicinal herbs of Taishan, Polygonatum was called "the legacy of immortals" by the ancients, a miraculous medicine for longevity. It belongs to the lily family and is a perennial herb. It grows on shady slopes, in weed beds, and under trees. The stem is long and relatively weak. Leaves are usually in whorls of five, linear-lanceolate, with curled tips. It flowers in summer; the flowers are white, bell-shaped, and drooping. The berries are spherical, turning black when ripe. The rhizome is horizontal, fleshy, and pale yellow. The root tuber is used medicinally, possessing effects such as nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, tonifying the spleen and replenishing qi, relieving asthma and cough.
Taishan Purple Gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon) is one of the four famous medicinal herbs of Taishan. Its root can be used medicinally, possessing effects such as promoting blood circulation, cooling the blood, clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting urination, and lubricating the intestines. Its efficacy is superior to similar products. Traditional Chinese medicine commonly uses it to treat symptoms such as blood heat and toxicity, poor rash eruption, jaundice, erysipelas, and constipation. Local folk medicine has long used it to prevent and treat measles in children. In recent years, it has been used to make an ointment for external application, effective in treating burns, frostbite, eczema, and blisters. Villagers around Taishan traditionally use it to make medicinal wine, which is believed to relax muscles and promote blood circulation, strengthening the body. Taishan Purple Gromwell is firm and of high quality; when soaked in wine, the wine immediately turns reddish-purple. Purple gromwell from other regions comes in large bundles per kilogram, while purple gromwell from Mount Tai comes in only one bunch per kilogram.