Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychees

Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychees

The Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychee is a protected geographical indication product.

The Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychee is a certified geographical indication trademark.

　　 The hills of Xinxing County are covered in green, with orchards heavy with the fragrance of fruit. Major fruit varieties include citrus, oranges, mandarins, longan, and lychees, cultivated across 200,000 mu of land, yielding an annual production of 100,000 tons. Years of continuous afforestation and fruit cultivation have not only brought bountiful harvests but also put the county’s forestry ecology into a virtuous cycle, making it a provincially recognized economic standard county.

　　Among these fresh fruits of Xinxing, the Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychee stands out as the most renowned for its thin, red skin; thick, tender flesh; small seed; crisp, juicy texture; and rich nutrition. It is said that 490 years ago, Li Chang, a native of Zhoubei in Xinxing County who served as an imperial censor in Fujian, introduced seedlings of the Zhuangyuanhong lychee variety from Fujian back to Xinxing. After successfully cultivating them, he sent the fresh fruit to the capital, where the imperial concubine praised it immensely. Since then, the lychee has been known as “Fragrant Lychee,” listed as a tribute during the Ming Dynasty, and became one of the top ten famous fruits of Lingnan. The Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychee offers a uniquely sweet and rich flavor unmatched by other fruits, especially notable for its tiny seeds—so small that one couldn’t even fill a small cup with the pits left after eating a batch. It truly deserves its place among Xinxing’s “Three Treasures.” (Xinxing County)

　　The Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychee is one of the top ten famous fruits of Lingnan and one of Xinxing’s “Three Treasures.” This fruit features a thin, red skin; white, wax-like flesh; a crisp, juicy texture; a sweet, aromatic taste; small seeds; and a high edible rate. Its lingering fragrance in the mouth is unmatched, standing shoulder to shoulder with lychee varieties such as Nuomici, Guiwei, and Heiye. Widely cultivated in Xinxing County, it is the region’s earliest local specialty.

　　Xinxing County is located in the central-western part of Guangdong Province and enjoys a subtropical monsoon climate with distinct seasons and short frost periods. The annual average temperature is 21.5°C, with an average total annual sunshine duration of 1,696 hours, averaging 4.65 hours per day and a sunshine rate of 39.2%. The annual solar radiation totals 102.4 kcal per square meter on average. The cumulative annual temperature stable above 10°C averages 7,398.2°C. The central area of the county experiences an average of 5.9 frost days per year, typically beginning in December, with frost periods ranging between 20 to 60 days. Annual rainfall amounts to 1,663.7 mm, mostly concentrated in May, June, August, and September.

　　Agricultural soil surveys in Xinxing show that all low hills, gentle slopes, and dry farmland in the county consist of loamy and lateritic soils, where the majority of Fragrant Lychee trees are planted. Observations indicate that the Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychee exhibits broad adaptability to soil types and can grow normally when planted near villages, in front of or behind houses, on dry land, or on hillsides. The climate and geographical conditions of Xinxing County are highly favorable for lychee cultivation.

　　The hills of Xinxing County are covered in green, with orchards heavy with the fragrance of fruit. Major fruit varieties include citrus, oranges, mandarins, longan, and lychees, cultivated across 200,000 mu of land, yielding an annual production of 100,000 tons. Years of continuous afforestation and fruit cultivation have not only brought bountiful harvests but also put the county’s forestry ecology into a virtuous cycle, making it a provincially recognized economic standard county.

　　Among these fresh fruits of Xinxing, the Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychee stands out as the most renowned for its thin, red skin; thick, tender flesh; small seed; crisp, juicy texture; and rich nutrition. It is said that 490 years ago, Li Chang, a native of Zhoubei in Xinxing County who served as an imperial censor in Fujian, introduced seedlings of the Zhuangyuanhong lychee variety from Fujian back to Xinxing. After successfully cultivating them, he sent the fresh fruit to the capital, where the imperial concubine praised it immensely. Since then, the lychee has been known as “Fragrant Lychee,” listed as a tribute during the Ming Dynasty, and became one of the top ten famous fruits of Lingnan. The Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychee offers a uniquely sweet and rich flavor unmatched by other fruits, especially notable for its tiny seeds—so small that one couldn’t even fill a small cup with the pits left after eating a batch. It truly deserves its place among Xinxing’s “Three Treasures.”

　　In 1951, dried Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychees were selected to participate in the Xijiang Local Specialty Trade Fair held by Guangdong Province in Zhaoqing City. In the 1950s, as a symbol of Sino-Soviet friendship, the lychees were exported as far as Moscow. In the 1960s, they were displayed at various exhibitions across China and within Guangdong Province. In 1972, they were showcased at the International Exposition in Paris, France, and received praise. In 2002, four lychee varieties under the “Wenjin” brand—Newly-Ripened Fragrant Lychee, Feizixiao, Guiwei, and Nuomici—were certified as “Green Food” by national review and received official certification.