Longxi Astragalus: Certified with Origin Mark Registration by AQSIQ

Longxi County, Dingxi City, Gansu, universally hailed as the Hometown of Astragalus, is the canonical Daodi producing zone recorded in ancient TCM classics. In 2003, “Longxi Astragalus” formally passed official review and obtained Origin Mark Registration Certification issued by the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), released under AQSIQ Announcement No.100, marking the first national-level origin intellectual property credential for authentic Gansu Daodi Huangqi.

Origin Mark Registration is a state-level official certification system specially set for characteristic agricultural and medicinal products with unique regional terroir. Only herbs planted, processed and packaged within the officially demarcated origin protection territory of Longxi County are legally permitted to print and use the exclusive AQSIQ origin mark logo. This strict access mechanism effectively distinguishes genuine Longxi Astragalus from counterfeit astragalus from other provinces, forming the core legal barrier to protect the origin brand of Daodi Huangqi.

1. Official Protected Origin Scope Defined by AQSIQ

The 2003 AQSIQ announcement clearly delimited the exclusive production territory eligible for origin mark authorization, covering 13 core townships of Longxi: Shouyang, Biyan, Fuxing, Gaoleng, Mahe, Tonganyi, Weihe, Caizi, Changgu, Xueshan, Shuangquan, Kezhai and Dexing. Any astragalus grown outside this administrative scope cannot apply for and carry the official origin mark, locking the exclusive terroir foundation of authentic Longxi Astragalus.

Nurtured by unique loess plateau ecology within the protected zone, Longxi Astragalus gains irreplaceable quality advantages recognized by national authoritative testing. The thick, loose yellow loam and black loam with low heavy metal content, coupled with large day-night temperature differences at 1600–2780 m altitude, slow down growth and fully accumulate astragaloside IV, calycosin glucoside and other active ingredients. Test data shows its effective components reach 4–8 times the standard specified in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, forming the iconic “golden rim, silver core, chrysanthemum cross-section” exclusive to origin-certified Longxi Huangqi.

2. Multi-Layered National Credential Matrix Built on AQSIQ Origin Mark

The 2003 AQSIQ Origin Mark Registration serves as the foundational core certification of Longxi Astragalus’ full brand system, followed by successive national authoritative honors:

1. 2016: Certified as Agricultural Geographical Indication Product by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs;
2. 2017: The “Longxi Astragalus” GI Certification Mark recognized as Well-Known Trademark of China by the former SAIC;
3. Designated National Demonstration Zone for Famous Medicinal Herb Industrial Brands;
4. Listed in Gansu Provincial Ganwei Public Brand Catalogue and National Famous, Special, High-Quality Agricultural Products List.

All standardized production bases (Authorized GI Herb Base, GAP Chinese Medicinal Herb Base, Chinese Medicinal Herb Seedling Base, Daodi Astragalus Producing Area) inside the origin protection zone must comply with the unified planting, harvesting and processing technical specifications formulated based on the AQSIQ origin mark standards. Unified germplasm screening, scientific crop rotation, green field management and low-sulfur processing are enforced across all plots to maintain consistent origin-specific quality.

3. Industrial Value of AQSIQ Origin Mark Certification

1. Legal Anti-Counterfeiting Barrier: The official origin mark provides credible legal evidence for market supervision and cross-border customs inspection, fundamentally curbing non-origin astragalus disguised as authentic Longxi Huangqi.
2. Global Trade Passport: As a state-level origin certification recognized by WIPO rules, the AQSIQ origin mark greatly reduces technical trade barriers for export to Southeast Asia, Europe and North America, becoming core supporting material for overseas organic herbal market access.
3. Standardization Benchmark: The origin mark’s unified production norms lay the technical framework for Longxi’s full industrial chain, covering seedling breeding, ecological cultivation, deep processing and traceability management.
4. Brand Premium Effect: Origin-marked Longxi Astragalus is prioritized by top national TCM enterprises including Yangtze River, Huiren and Sanniu Group, occupying over 70% of China’s total astragalus trading volume and ranking first globally in output and export volume.

Conclusion

The 2003 AQSIQ Origin Mark Registration is the landmark national certification that officially confirms Longxi as the world’s top Daodi Astragalus origin. Supported by exclusive plateau terroir, unified origin production standards and stacked national intellectual property credentials, origin-certified Longxi Astragalus delivers high-potency, traceable authentic medicinal materials for global TCM and wellness industries, solidifying its irreplaceable position as the premium Daodi Huangqi origin in Northwest China.