Only by cracking down on counterfeits and protecting the truth from the source, and bathing genuine quality products in the protection of the rule of law, can the "golden signboard" shine with lasting vitality and ensure the sustainable development of the traditional industry of tangerine peel. Recently, a report by CCTV's "Financial Investigation" program revealed the chaos in the dried tangerine peel market: the cost of "vintage dried tangerine peel" priced at thousands of yuan per kilogram is only 70 yuan. Many businesses only need one month to process newly harvested tea branches and citrus peels into tangerine peels that have naturally aged for approximately three or five years in appearance. In addition, there are also phenomena such as reselling qualifications and disorderly posting of geographical indications in this industry. What is even more worrying is that fraudulent behavior is not an isolated case, but has already formed a chain of interconnected, mature and stable industries. Xinhui Chenpi has a long history and is known for its "one or two pieces of Chenpi, one or two pieces of gold, and century old Chenpi surpasses gold" reputation. Its aroma is fragrant and has high medicinal value, which is deeply loved by consumers. However, for some time now, a fast paced "craft leather" has quietly become popular in the tangerine peel industry. With the support of technology and hard work, the tangerine peel on the market is mixed with mud and sand, making it difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake. As long as the "craft leather" is labeled as "aged for five years" or "aged for ten years", the retail price can soar to 500 to 1000 yuan, with profits exceeding costs by as much as 10 times. Driven by huge profits, it is difficult to find expensive "genuine leather" that becomes more fragrant as it ages, and rampant "fake leather" is sold throughout the country. The tangerine peel market is facing a trend of "bad money driving out good money". The reason for this is related to the prevalence of fake leather and the lack of detection methods and inadequate supervision. On the one hand, there is currently no authoritative technology to determine the aging method and age of fruit peels. Some merchants teach consumers to "distinguish the age based on the depth of color", but in fact, the color difference is only caused by the difference in processing heat of "craft skins". On the other hand, as a national geographical indication product, Xinhui Chenpi should strictly follow the principle of origin protection. However, in reality, many enterprises openly obtain raw materials from other places and even sell national geographical indication qualifications with clear prices, without cherishing the hard won "golden signboard". In this way, the geographical indication system established by the country to protect the authenticity of products (the origin and quality characteristics of Chinese medicinal materials) faces the risk of being dismantled item by item in practice. The "ID card" that was supposed to guarantee the quality of dried tangerine peel sometimes turns into a "fake passport" that deceives consumers. According to reports, the total output value of the entire industry chain of Xinhui Chenpi will reach 26.1 billion yuan in 2024. The enormous economic value hidden behind a thin layer of tangerine peel originates from the local brand reputation that has adhered to tradition and valued quality accumulation for thousands of years. When operators are complacent about making huge profits from producing and selling "fake leather", they are unaware that this operation is also overdrawing the public's trust in the brand. In recent years, it is not uncommon for the entire industry to decline due to mass fraud, indicating that once a brand loses credibility, it is difficult to regain public trust. The millennium old Xinhui dried tangerine peel has not been easily passed down to this day, and we must not lose the direction of industry development due to immediate benefits. Producing and selling counterfeit goods, cutting corners and using inferior materials are undoubtedly self destructive. Only by cherishing brand reputation and returning to craftsmanship and quality can we achieve stability and success. It is gratifying that in the face of industry chaos, joint investigation teams have been established in Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province and Pubei County, Guangxi Province, stating that they will resolutely crack down on illegal business activities, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, and maintain fair market competition order. This' zero tolerance 'attitude is commendable, but it is only the first step in reshaping industry trust. More importantly, how to build an effective regulatory system to crack down on counterfeit products from the source and ensure that such counterfeiting incidents do not resurface or make a comeback. On this issue, market regulatory authorities and industry associations should work together and use technological means to establish full process supervision of the origin, processing cycle, aging and storage, and sales flow of dried tangerine peel. They should also establish and improve strict entry and exit mechanisms for geographical indication authorized enterprises. Once any illegal authorization behavior is discovered, it should be severely punished according to law. Only by cracking down on counterfeits and protecting the truth from the source, and bathing genuine quality products in the protection of the rule of law, can the "golden signboard" shine with lasting vitality and ensure the sustainable development of the traditional industry of tangerine peel. (New Society)