Legend of the Chrysanthemum Core
Legend of the Chrysanthemum Core: There's a saying in Zhangjiajie: 'No water is better than Baisha Well (in Zhangjiajie), no fruit is better than the Chrysanthemum Core.' This Chrysanthemum Core, along with Maojian tea and stone fungus, was once known as one of the 'Three Treasures of Dayong.' In the early Republic of China period, it even participated in the Paris International Exposition and was called 'the light of Chinese goods'—it was very famous! Long ago, in Hu Family River Village lived...
This article has been compiled from historical materials on 'Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network' (33519.com · Specialty Foods / Cuisine / Customs section). Prices, business hours, administrative divisions, and statistical data mentioned in the text may already be outdated. Before traveling, please refer to the latest announcements from merchants, scenic areas, and local competent authorities; the parts involving folk legends and folk customs are local historical and cultural anecdotes, provided for cultural reference.
The Legend of Chrysanthemum-Core Pomelo
There is a saying in Zhangjiajie: "Good water is no match for White Sand Well (in Zhangjiajie); good fruit is no match for Chrysanthemum-Core." This Chrysanthemum-Core, along with Maojian tea and rock ear fungus, were formerly known together as the "Three Treasures of Dayong." In the early years of the Republic of China, it even participated in the Paris International Exposition and was called "the light of Chinese goods"—its fame was tremendous!
No one knows in which dynasty or era it was, but in Hujiahe Village there lived a farmer surnamed Hu, very poor, who worked as a long-term laborer for a landlord surnamed Tian of Dagutai. One day, while the farmer was weeding his vegetable garden, a cuckoo suddenly fell from the sky, landing beside his hoe. It had been pecked and wounded by a sparrowhawk. The farmer could not bear it, so he carried the cuckoo home, applied herbal medicine to its wound, and caught insects for it to eat. A couple of days later, the cuckoo's wound healed. The farmer said, "Cuckoo, cuckoo, in this world there are many wicked people and many wicked birds—you must be more careful." Having said this, he released the bird.
A few days later, the farmer went to weed the garden again, and the cuckoo flew back, circled the farmer three times, spat out a white seed, and flew away. The farmer picked it up and saw it was a pomelo seed. Without a second thought, he tossed it into the tea garden. The next day he looked—the seed had sprouted. The third day he looked—it had grown leaves. The fourth day he looked—it had grown branches. The farmer tended it three times a day—watering, fertilizing, catching insects, and weeding. The pomelo tree grew rapidly, and before long it bloomed and bore fruit. The farmer picked one; the fruit was green with a hint of yellow. Looking closely, he saw a chrysanthemum pattern on its navel, as if carved there by a sculptor. He peeled it open—the skin was thin, the segments were pink, and eating one segment released sweet juice that melted in the mouth, filling the whole garden with fragrance. The farmer was overjoyed. He picked a load and carried it to the street to sell. At first no one wanted them, but later someone noticed the chrysanthemum on the pomelo and tried buying one. He immediately said, "The taste is fresh—ten times better than Kongxin and Tata (local traditional varieties)!"
The farmer prospered from this pomelo tree.
When Landlord Tian found out, he was envious and dug up the pomelo tree to plant in his own garden. The next day he looked—the tree was wilting. The third day he looked—the tree was dead. The farmer was heartbroken. He dug up the stump and replanted it. He continued to water, fertilize, and catch insects every day, but the stump never sprouted. The farmer did not lose heart at all. When he was dying, he instructed his children and grandchildren to take good care of the stump. In the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was passed down to his grandson Hu Chunjie. Hu Chunjie had been studying at a private school since he was twelve or thirteen. Every day when he returned from school, he would water and fertilize that pomelo stump. Day after day, the dead stump actually sprouted and grew leaves! Later, when he went to Lizhou to take the military xiucai examination, he brought a few of the pomelos he had cultivated and gave them to the chief examiner. The chief examiner ate the crisp, tender, sweet pomelo and praised it endlessly, blurting out, "This is the Chrysanthemum-Core Immortal Pomelo!"
According to legend, when the emperor held his enthronement celebration, the whole country held grand imperial gatherings. Hu Chunjie specially selected a load of Chrysanthemum-Core pomelos and took them to the capital for exhibition. After Emperor Xuantong tasted this rare pomelo, he greatly admired it and issued an edict designating it as a tribute pomelo. From then on, the good name of Chrysanthemum-Core pomelo spread throughout the country.