Didu Town in Rongcheng District has achieved a significant milestone in advancing the "Hundreds and Thousands Project" by securing two national-level recognitions. Zoutang Pear Preserve and Didu Green Crab have both been listed in the second batch of the 2026 National Famous, Special, and Superior New Agricultural Products public registry, marking a major step forward in strengthening the township's industrial foundation for cluster-based development.

These two distinctive agricultural products earning the coveted "national title" adds fresh highlights to the town's agricultural development pattern of "hundreds of acres of orchids, thousands of acres of pear groves, and tens of thousands of acres of fish ponds." This achievement continues to elevate the brand influence and market competitiveness of Rongcheng's specialty industries.

Four Centuries of Heritage: Why Zoutang Pear Preserve Stands Out

The Zoutang Pear Preserve represents a classic specialty product with a 400-year legacy in Didu Town. Built upon green-skinned pear cultivation history dating back to the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty and refined through the traditional "triple steaming, quadruple drying" technique, this preserve boasts exceptional quality and profound cultural depth. Known as the "Chaoshan Wild Antelope" for its traditional medicinal properties, it offers detoxification benefits and relief from sore throats. In 2025, the crafting technique for Zoutang Pear Preserve was recommended for inclusion in the eighth batch of municipal-level intangible cultural heritage projects, infusing new cultural vitality into this ancient craft while creating a virtuous cycle between agricultural value and cultural significance.

The Zoutang Green-Skinned Pear cultivation industry has achieved large-scale, clustered development. Planting areas now cover key villages including Xianpu, Fengmei, and Nanlong, engaging over 100 farming households across the full planting and processing chain. With 3,000 acres under cultivation, annual pear production reaches 6,000 tons, and the entire industry chain generates over 250 million yuan in yearly output value, establishing itself as a pillar industry for local prosperity.

Where Fresh and Saltwater Meet: The Secret Behind Didu Green Crab's Sweetness

Complementing the century-old pear industry, the Didu Green Crab owes its exceptional quality to remarkable natural endowments. The town boasts 19.6 kilometers of high-quality coastline situated where the Rong River meets the sea. The upstream river flow takes a sharp eastern turn at Tuwei Bay and is further shaped by the Lion Mountain and Elephant Mountain at the renowned "Lion and Elephant Guarding the Sea Gateway" scenic spot. This unique geography creates distinctive tidal patterns where fresh and saltwater intermingle, producing rare, unreplicable ecological conditions for aquaculture and giving rise to the magnificent "ten-thousand-acre fish pond" landscape.

These natural advantages endow the Didu Green Crab with thin shells, rich roe, and sweet, tender meat, making it a signature aquatic delicacy of Chaoshan cuisine. Currently, the town's aquaculture area spans 18,000 acres, with annual green crab production reaching approximately 10,000 tons. The industry generates over 200 million yuan in yearly output value, injecting strong momentum into township economic development.

Strengthening Regional Clusters: Activating the Specialty Agriculture Matrix Effect

Historically, local specialty agriculture faced persistent challenges including fragmented operations, traditional production and sales models, underdeveloped processing chains, and a "small, scattered, weak" industry structure that limited quality upgrades. To overcome these obstacles and revitalize the sector, Didu Town implemented targeted strategies to promote collaborative development and full-chain upgrading.

For the pear industry, the town established the Zoutang Pear Association in September 2024, creating a multi-stakeholder platform connecting government, farmers, and enterprises. This initiative broke down the barriers of farmers operating in isolation, fostering collective industry advancement that added 12,000 new pear seedlings. The town also overhauled traditional production and sales approaches by introducing modern processing equipment, establishing standardized quality control systems, and developing diversified derivative products including pear beverages, jelly, and pear preserve paste. These innovations enriched the product portfolio and boosted added value. Multi-channel sales expansion through ancient city revitalization projects and cultural exposition participation has enabled the century-old Zoutang pear fragrance to reach beyond Chaoshan into broader markets.

For aquaculture upgrading, Didu Town pioneered a development model combining government guidance, enterprise leadership, village collective participation, and expert support. The establishment of the Aquaculture Association steers the industry toward scale, standardization, and branding. Technological empowerment comes through collaboration with the Dongguan town-pairing support team and South China Normal University's science and technology specialist group, jointly establishing an aquaculture research and development base dedicated to rejuvenating the Didu Green Crab strain and promoting green ecological farming practices. Furthermore, the town is planning a modern aquaculture demonstration base centered on eco-friendly operations, extending into deep processing, cold-chain logistics, e-commerce sales, and new business formats such as fishery culture tourism and educational leisure experiences. These efforts promote deep integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries.

The two agricultural products securing national recognition represents both a milestone in Didu Town's implementation of the "Hundreds and Thousands Project" and regional cluster development, and a new starting point toward high-quality growth. Moving forward, the town will continue integrating into the township cluster cultivation framework, strengthening the specialty agriculture matrix, addressing industrial chain shortcomings, polishing agricultural brands, and activating the fusion of agriculture, culture, and tourism. This specialty industry development path will empower comprehensive rural revitalization and write the next chapter of Didu Town's transformation.