At the Quzhou Liuwei Future Agricultural Industrial Park in Kecheng district, Quzhou, Zhejiang province, workers are skillfully using modern tools to extract tangerine peels.

Quzhou chenpi, or dried aged tangerine peel, has long been a premium medicinal ingredient distributed nationwide. Tests show that the hesperidin content in Quzhou chenpi far exceeds the standards set by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, sometimes reaching 5 to 6 percent, and even as high as 8 to 10 percent.

This year, Zhejiang Zaochun Agricultural Development Co established a 6,000-square-meter processing workshop, providing an ideal space for the standardized production of chenpi.

Chenpi must be selected, washed, peeled, wilted, turned, dried, and aged, with each step being critical. Tangerine peels need to age for over three years before becoming chenpi.

A piece of equipment automatically selects the highest-quality tangerines at Zhejiang Zaochun Agricultural Development Co. [Photo/Tide News]

"With our new drying equipment, we ensure an environmentally-friendly and clean process, guaranteeing product quality," said Xu Xiaoqiang, chairman of Zhejiang Zaochun Agricultural Development Co.

To upgrade the aging process, the company built a 9,333-square-meter digital factory in collaboration with universities, equipped with temperature control, dehumidification, ventilation, and acid removal systems, ensuring effective aging through big data monitoring.

The Quzhou chenpi product from Zhejiang Zaochun Agricultural Development Co recently won a gold medal at the Zhejiang Agriculture Expo. The company has developed over 20 chenpi products, many of which have become popular gifts among Quzhou residents.