Tianshui is located in the southeast of Gansu Province, the climate is pleasant, four distinct seasons, moderate rainfall, long sunshine hours, high effective accumulated temperature, and large temperature difference between day and night. It is a eugenic area for deciduous fruit trees in the north and the best suitable area for marshal apples. The Huaniu Apple produced are bright in color, beautiful in high piles, prominent in five ribs, tender meat, sweet and delicious, and high in quality.

In 1964, Huaniu apples began to be sold in Hong Kong. It happened to be the market fruit appraisal meeting. The Huaniu apple won the first prize and caused a sensation. At that time, Hong Kong reported that there is a "Hua Niu Country" in northwestern region of China. The quality of Huaniu apple exceeds the American ace apple "snake fruit". In 1974, the Ministry of Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Ministry of Commerce identified Tianshui as one of the six largest apple export producing areas in China.

Huaniu Apple won the "High Quality Agricultural Products Award of the Ministry of Agriculture" in 1989, and was awarded the gold medal at the 1993 China Quality Agricultural Products and Scientific and Technological Achievement Exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand in 1993. In 1994, it won the gold medal at the National Famous and Excellent Forestry Expo. Won the title of "Chinese Famous Fruit" in 2006, and won more than 100 awards including the Gold Award at the 12th China International Agricultural Products Fair in 2014, the title of 2017 Shanghai National Quality Agricultural Products Expo Gold Award; 2017 Gansu Agricultural Expo Gold Award, Gansu Top Ten Agricultural Regional Public Brands. In 2018, it was awarded the "Tianshui Huaniu Apple Geographical Indication Mark". In 2019, "HuaNiu Apple" won the honorary title of 2018 National Green Agriculture Top Ten Fruit Landmark Brands.