In April, flowers bloom and spring fills the gardens, the air in Binchuan filled with the fragrance of citrus. When the reporter arrived at the foot of Jizu Mountain in Binchuan, Dali, a place renowned as one of the four sacred Buddhist sites, truckloads of citrus were being hauled away from the distant mountains, while vineyards along the roadsides were already bearing fruit. Deputy Director Zhu of the local Rural Agriculture Bureau told the reporter that although Binchuan's 180,000 mu of early-ripening grapes were growing well, the most gratifying sight was the 100 mu of Ziyu seedless grapes at the Xinghongda Agricultural and Sideline Products Cooperative in Jinniu Town.
Is that really true? Perhaps the reporter misheard; 100 mu and 180,000 mu are incomparable.
With these questions in mind, the reporter visited this unique vineyard in Jinniu Town. At first glance, bunches of green, blue, and purple grapes hung heavily on the vines. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the vineyards here were indeed quite different from those elsewhere; the leaves seemed larger and greener, and the grapevines appeared much thicker.
Is that really true? "Could the reporter have misheard? 100 mu and 180,000 mu are incomparable," the reporter thought.
With this question in mind, the reporter arrived at this unique vineyard in Jinniu Town. At first glance, bunches of green, blue, and purple grapes hung heavily on the vines. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that this vineyard was indeed different from grapevines elsewhere; the leaves seemed larger and greener, and the grapevines appeared much thicker.
Just as the reporter was about to observe more closely, the vineyard owner, Zhang Minghong, renowned among fruit farmers in Dali, Yunnan, and even in Chuxiong, Lijiang, Lincang, and Pu'er as the "King of Selenium-Rich Black Grapes," came in and explained that the Ziyu Tianhe grapes were just beginning to bear fruit. He said that in another 20 days, each grape would be as thick as a child's finger, extremely beautiful, and tasted absolutely delicious.
Zhang Minghong told reporters that his Ziyu seedless grape seedlings originated from Australia and are known as "Golden Finger," "Ruby," and "Sapphire" varieties in the US and Australia. As a renowned selenium-rich black grape variety in Yunnan's grape-growing industry, Zhang Minghong's Ziyu seedless grapes have higher levels of selenium, anthocyanins, and vitamins than their foreign counterparts.
It is understood that anthocyanins have anti-radiation properties. The color of anthocyanins changes depending on the pH value, and most anthocyanins exhibit good stability under light, heat, and pH. For white-collar workers or those exposed to prolonged sun exposure or electromagnetic radiation, the effects of anthocyanins are indispensable.
Furthermore, the anthocyanins in Zhang Minghong's Ziyu seedless grapes are also a natural anti-aging nutritional supplement, currently considered one of the most effective antioxidants found in nature and the most effective antioxidant discovered by humans to date. The anthocyanins in Ziyu seedless grapes inhibit elastase and collagenase, making skin smoother and more elastic, and improving joint flexibility.
It is precisely because of the many advantages of the Ziyu seedless grapes carefully cultivated by Zhang Minghong that people have a strong interest in their unique fruit shape, nutrition, and taste, which allows them to sell for a high price of 160 yuan per kilogram. Zhang Minghong told reporters that a few days ago, Zhang Jixin, a national second-level actor of the Central Opera and Dance Theater, and his junior sister Lü Wei had ordered several boxes of Ziyu seedless grapes through Zhang Jixin's family in Kunming.