Taishan Longan

Taishan Longan

　　In mid-August, longan fruits from Guanghai in Taishan County, a hometown of overseas Chinese, have hit the market in large quantities. Longan is a beloved fruit among locals during summer and autumn. In Guanghai, longan is sold in small baskets and harvested gradually rather than all at once. For travelers visiting Guanghai, enjoying fresh, affordable, and high-quality longan is truly a delightful experience.

　　There are many longan trees in Guanghai. According to a survey conducted by South China Agricultural College in the past, there were over two thousand longan trees in the small town of Guanghai alone. As a result, Guanghai has been dubbed the “Longan City.” Most of the longan trees in Guanghai are wild varieties, mostly growing in their original locations, with only a few transplanted after a few years of growing wild. The trees are often planted in front of or behind houses, providing both shade and fruit—killing two birds with one stone.

　　In the early 1960s, longan trees were planted along both sides of two road sections: from the southern part of the city to Nanwan, and from the northern part of the city to Xijiewei. These trees are now bearing abundant fruit.

　　It takes about eight to ten years for longan trees to yield fruit. Therefore, people in Guanghai say that planting longan is like “planting for future generations to enjoy,” or “plant once, harvest for generations.” Longan trees are often referred to as “money trees.” There are many varieties of longan in Guanghai, such as Niuyan (Ox Eye), Jiyanzai (Chicken Eye), and Jiaohé (Small Pit or Thin Pit). The most prized variety is Shixia longan, which has thin skin, thick flesh, juicy and sweet pulp. At the garden of Mr. Zhang Guanliang, an overseas Chinese who originally lived in Guanghai, there is a particularly delicious Shixia longan tree. Strangely enough, in the “Hai Yong Wu Bo” (Sea Forever Calm) Park in Nanwan, there are two large rocks sandwiching a longan tree that bears plenty of fruit. People say this is the true “rock-clamped” longan.

　　The fruiting pattern of longan trees in Guanghai is quite unique: a tree that bears a lot of large, red fruit one year with particularly high yields may produce very little the next year, resulting in low yields—this is called “alternating red years.” Some trees bear more fruit on the eastern side one year and more on the western side the next—this is known as “alternating sides.” A few trees exhibit even stranger patterns, bearing fruit in rotation on the east, west, south, and north sides.