The pomelo is a cherished traditional fruit in Dinghai district, Zhoushan and has been being cultivated for nearly 100 years. [Photo/xuexi.cn]

Three specialties from Zhoushan have been officially recognized as provincial specialty items, as recently announced by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The recognized items are pomelo, yellow broaker, and golden melon.

With a cultivation history spanning nearly a century, pomelo is a cherished traditional fruit in Dinghai district. It has a cultivation area of 177.3 hectares, generating annual sales of 13.5 million yuan ($1.87 million).

Yellow croaker aquaculture in Putuo district began in 1988, and the output has now reached 1,400 metric tons a year, worth 100 million yuan. The district mainly employs deep-sea cage farming and traditional net cage farming methods for yellow croaker aquaculture.

The golden melon, renowned for its fragrance and sweetness, has been gaining in popularity since 2000. Following the refinement and revitalization of its varieties, the implementation of modern agricultural technologies such as greenhouse protection for early spring cultivation, standardized production processes, and integrated fertilization and irrigation systems, the melon's quality has significantly improved, with an average annual yield exceeding 600 tons and an output value surpassing 13 million yuan.

To date, Zhoushan has had nine local specialties included in the "Top 100 Famous Local Specialties of Zhejiang", including waxberries, Putuo Buddha tea, Daishan peanuts, Shengsi mussels, Jintang plums, and Putuo narcissus.