Nanfeng tangerine orange has been planted since Tang Dynasty or more than 1300 year ago, when people planted the origins of Nanfeng tangerine orange has been planted since Tang Dynasty or more than 1300 year ago, when people planted the origins of tangerine orange. Around the 15th century, planting of tangerine orange prospered, due to its good taste and economic value. The name was officially written into Government Records of Jianchang in Ming Dynasty. According to Japanese experts, Japanese orange came from Nanfeng tangerine orange about 700 years ago. That indicates that Nanfeng tangerine orange has been famous at home and abroad some 700 years ago. Modern fruit tree experts believe that Nanfeng tangerine orange is representative among orange products, because of its superior quality over other varieties and widespread planting at Nanfeng.

As a new ecological community, Nanfeng tangerine orange has been named as a result of sweetness as honey, good natural environment and long-term breeding.

In modern times, Nanfeng tangerine orange has been in a state of short supply due to its high economic value, and the production scale has been expanded as a result of stimulated production. In 1999, there is a planting area of 11200 hectares, and total annual output was 120,000 tons. In recent years, great efforts have been made in Nanfeng county to popularize the planting techniques for high quality and output of Nanfeng tangerine orange, improve its quality, create its brand and promote rapid development of production. By 2004, Nanfeng tangerine orange, with a planting area of more than 20000 hectares, is characterized by a total annual output of 250,000 tons, a new high in history. Its current planting area and total output are 100, 25.7 and 3.7 times, and 500, 80 and 2.5 times as many as those in 1949, 1978 and 1991. During the 11th Five-Year Plan period of China, 1333.33 to 2000 hectares of Nanfeng tangerine orange will be added each year to achieve a total area of 30000 hectares and a total output of 350000 tons, an increase of 50% and 130% over those in 2004. In 2015, the planting area of Nanfeng tangerine orange will reach more than 33333 hectares, with a total output of 600000 tons.