Province Traditional Chinese names for the fruit include míhóutáo (), húlítáo (), ténglí () and yángtáo (), however no traditional distinction existed between
Actinidia chinensis and
Actinidia deliciosa, with míhóutáo and yángtáo being names used to refer to both varieties. The first known references to
Actinidia plants in China date to the
Tang dynasty in the 800s, when sporadic attempts were made to cultivate the fruit. This includes a Tang Dynasty poem written by
Cen Shen, set in
Shaanxi, which describes a plant growing above a well; suggesting that the plant may have been cultivated in gardens during this period. In the
Běncǎo Yǎnyì (), a 12th century medicinal compendium by Kou Zongshi, describes the plant as growing along pathways deep in the mountains of China, and notes that monkeys eat the fruit. Cultivation of
Actinidia chinensis var.
deliciosa began in
New Zealand in the early 20th century after
Mary Isabel Fraser, the principal of
Whanganui Girls' College, brought seeds of the plant back to New Zealand. Over time, numerous cultivars were developed by different growers, all originating from the same plant material that was brought to New Zealand by Fraser. In 1957, the
China National Botanical Garden sourced wild
Actinidia chinensis var.
deliciosa seeds from the
Qinling mountains of
Shaanxi, growing the first specimens in a botanical institute in China. These surveys revealed the potential for golden and red
Actinidia chinensis var.
chinensis varieties to become cultivated commercial crops. ==Gallery==