Conghua’s “King of Lychees”

Conghua’s “King of Lychees”

The “King of Lychees” grows in Mianhua Village, Shengang, Conghua. Its canopy spreads out like an enormous umbrella covering the flat ground. With the trunk as the center, several thick branches twist and stretch outward, the longest of which reaches up to 12 meters. The tree’s girth exceeds 10 meters, and villagers once joined hands to measure its size—it took eight people to encircle it.

This “King of Lychees” was planted in the first year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty, making it 338 years old. It belongs to the Huai Zhi variety and produces extremely sweet fruit. In 1978, its most productive year, the tree bore a total of 2,400 kilograms of lychees, and it took the owner three days to harvest them all.

Nowadays, the “King of Lychees” yields around 1,500 kilograms annually—roughly ten times more than the output of a typical local lychee tree. Villagers say that there are also many lychee trees aged over 200 years growing near the “King,” but none have grown nearly as large.

It is reported that Mianhua Village will hire technical staff to provide specialized care for the “King of Lychees.” Villagers believe that if well managed, the tree could continue to grow larger. Relevant authorities are also planning to develop the “King of Lychees” and nearby scenic spots into a cohesive area for visitors to enjoy.