Renhua Bailan has a long history and a long tradition of cultivation

 Author: Ling Xiaoyan 

Renhua Bailan has stood in the world for several hundred years with its "three excellences," namely its lustrous leaves, flowers that must rise above the leaves, and clear fragrance. According to Volume 11, Products, of the "Shaozhou Prefectural Gazetteer" revised during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, "Bailan is produced in Renhua, known as Renhua Bai, with clear color and clear fragrance, different from other orchids." And during the Republic of China period, Sun Yimin's "Danxia Mountain Gazetteer" states, "Bailan is produced on the two peaks of Zhanglao and Hailuo at the summit; its flowers are pure white. Every autumn, its fragrant scent invades people's clothing." It can be seen that Renhua Bailan was cherished by many literati and refined scholars as early as several hundred years ago. 

Renhua is located in the Nanling Mountains, bordering Jiangxi and Hunan. The geographical climate for orchid growth is extremely favorable. The county has eighteen mountains over 1,000 m above sea level, and its underground mineral deposits are very rich, totaling more than forty kinds. The world-famous red stone park Danxia Mountain is located in Renhua. The county's terrain is high in the north and low in the south. In the north, the highest mountain, Wanshi Mountain, reaches 1,559 m above sea level, while the southern plains are only 70 m above sea level. The annual rainfall is 1,990 mm, and the annual average temperature is 19.6°C. For orchids, this is truly a gifted environment. Therefore, more than ten kinds of orchids are distributed in our county. It may truly be said that famous mountains produce famous orchids. In the past ten years, Renhua has produced many famous varieties: Danxia Dharma Orchid, black-flowered cold orchid, Renhua Bai Su Qi, Renhua Da Cai He (the author has already introduced them in detail in another article), and so on. 

In recent years, the author, together with Yang Zhaoxian, president of the Renhua County Orchid Association, has many times investigated and collected Renhua orchids, and found that several famous varieties survive with only twenty or thirty plants. The advertisements published in certain magazines and the so-called Renhua Bai circulating on the market, whether in flower posture or leaf quality, differ greatly from the authentic local Renhua Bai. Renhua Bailan is still planted and propagated under primitive conditions, and fundamentally has not reached mass production. Apart from a small number given by a few local orchid friends to relatives and friends elsewhere, among the twenty or thirty Bailan varieties in this county, the largest variety has only thirty to fifty plants, while the smallest has only twenty or thirty plants, with total stock at most several thousand plants. In order to let more orchid friends know and understand Renhua Bailan, the author here introduces ten relatively representative varieties among Renhua Bailan: 

① Broad-leaf Renhua Guazi Bai - The plant type is robust, the leaves are dark green and slightly broad and strong, drooping in the middle and glossy, the leaf tips are toad-mouth shaped, the leaf margins have relatively obvious fine serrations, the leaves are about 30 cm long and 1.2-2 cm wide, growing in clumps of 3-5 leaves. The flower is a lotus-petal type, with a fine base, named for resembling an upside-down melon seed. The flower is milky white, the three outer petals are milky white with a slight green tinge, and the fallen petals and lip are snow white. The flower rises above the leaves, and the fragrance is strong. At present, only thirty to forty plants remain in Renhua. 

② Broad-leaf Renhua Large-Flower Su (commonly known as Zhu De Su) - In 1962, Chairman Zhu De sent two guards, together with a flower engineer from what was then Shaoguan Park, to Renhua to look for orchids. They found at the home of a village committee secretary in Fuxi Town, Renhua County, a large-he lotus su that had been passed down in his family for several generations, about a dozen plants, and it was named from this. This orchid has a robust plant type, dark green leaves, leaf length thirty to forty cm, width 1.2-2 cm, semi-erect. The leaf tips are round and blunt, the leaf margins have inconspicuous fine serrations, and the leaf texture is strongly fleshy, soft, smooth, fine and glutinous, and richly glossy. The flowers are large, nearly twice the size of ordinary large-he su, strongly fragrant, and the flowering period is long; its flowers can be seen from June to November. This orchid is valued for both flower and leaf, and is a rare excellent variety. At present, only about one hundred plants remain in Renhua. 

③ Soft-sword Renhua Bai (commonly known as Youdong Bai) - "Renhua Bai is known throughout the world, and all consider this type the highest grade. The leaf texture is soft and smooth, seemingly superior to the broad-sword type, only the flowers are small, slightly inferior to the melon-seed petal, yet it is also a rival in excellence of the two Hui." (Excerpted from the Qing Dynasty "Lingnan Lan Yan.") The flower type of this orchid is second only to Renhua Da Guazi, and its leaf posture and leaf quality are the finest among other Bailan. Among Bailan, it can be considered outstanding. Its leaves are more than thirty cm long and 1-2 cm wide, the leaf color is deep green and glossy, the leaf tips taper sharply, and the leaf margins are entire. The flower is a lotus-petal type, the flower color is milky white, it rises above the leaves and is strongly fragrant. After the flower fully opens, from bottom to top each flower has a black bead-like body on the column (hence it is also called Black Pearl). 

④ Danxia Su (commonly known as Bagua Tou) - "The scenery of Danxia Mountain is clear and strange, majestic and accumulated, and its pure and fine air is not concentrated elsewhere. This type has leaves more than a chi high, with a contracted foot and upright armor, and eight or nine flowers, as tall as the leaves. Although slightly close to green in color, it is esteemed as outstanding among the nine wan. The monk of Danxia first obtained this type and kept it secret as a great treasure, fearing it would be seized by the powerful, and hid it in a secret chamber. When the flowers bloomed, he would not show it to any but the closest friends. Later, a certain Li from Daliang bought it from his disciple, and after passing through several hands it came to me. On careful appraisal, it is also next to the two types Tie Jia Da Qing and Chu Jia Bai." (Excerpted from the Qing Dynasty "Lingnan Lan Yan.") This orchid's leaves are thirty to forty cm long and 1-1.8 cm wide, the leaf color is emerald green and glossy, drooping in the middle, the leaf margins have inconspicuous fine serrations, the petals are ordinary lotus-petal type, the flower color is emerald green, it rises above the leaves, and it is strongly fragrant. At present, about two hundred plants remain in Renhua. 

⑤ Red-bud Bai - This is a new variety among Renhua Bai discovered and dug out in Renhua in the past two years. At present, several types have been found, including broad-leaf, narrow-leaf, upright-sword, and soft-sword. Compared with ordinary Bailan, this flower appears clearer and purer, and its fragrance is clearer. Only a few dozen plants of this type have been found in Renhua. 

⑥ Renhua Broad-leaf Upright-sword Bai - Its leaf color and leaf condition are first-rate, and its length, size, and proportions are just right. The leaves are thirty to forty cm long and 1.2-1.8 cm wide, the leaf margins have inconspicuous serrations, the leaves are thick and glossy, with the momentum of pointing straight to the blue sky. This flower is a lotus-petal type, rises above the leaves, and is strongly fragrant. Only about one hundred plants remain in Renhua. 

⑦ Renhua Fine-leaf Upright-sword Bai - The leaves are about thirty cm long and 0.6-1.2 cm wide, the leaf margins have obvious fine serrations, the petals are bamboo-leaf type, the flower color is pale green and level with the leaves, and the fragrance is strong. 

⑧ Sa Jin Su (a variety of Fine-leaf Upright-sword Bai) - Its plant type, leaf condition, flower type, and flower posture are all no different from Fine-leaf Upright-sword Bai; the only difference is that short yellow striped markings appear on every leaf, hence the name Sa Jin Su. 

⑨ Renhua Broad-leaf Bai - The leaves are thirty to forty cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm wide, the leaf tips taper sharply, the leaf color is deep green, the leaf margins are entire, the leaves are thick and glossy. The flower is an ordinary lotus-petal type, the color is white with a tender green tinge, it rises above the leaves, and the fragrance is strong. At present, only a few dozen plants remain in Renhua. 

⑩ Twisted-sword Renhua Bai - "Renhua Bai is distinguished for its quiet elegance. This one, however, has soft and thick leaf texture, with the strange and the upright generating each other, and is generally like many-flowered su; among Renhua types it is a variation." (Excerpted from the Qing Dynasty "Lingnan Lan Yan.") This orchid's leaves are thirty to forty cm long and 0.8-1.5 cm wide, the leaf color is green with a slight yellow tinge, the leaf margins have inconspicuous fine serrations, it is glossy, the petals are bamboo-leaf type, tender green, the flowers rise above the leaves, and the fragrance is strong. At present, three to four hundred plants remain in Renhua.