Donghu Watermelon

Donghu Watermelon

　　The watermelon from Donghu Village in Dahao District, Shantou City, is renowned for its excellent quality. It is characterized by its perfectly round shape, weighing over 10 kilograms, with a rind featuring alternating greenish-white patterns and a distinct central white stripe. The rind is thin, the flesh is yellow, and it has a sandy, crisp texture without any residue, offering a sweet and refreshing taste. It stores well without easily spoiling, and even becomes sweeter with slight aging. Its shape and quality are similar to those of Australian watermelons, leading to speculation that the seeds were introduced to the village by overseas Chinese from Australia.

Watermelon cultivation in Donghu has a history of nearly 100 years. The area is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the sea on one, with open terrain and long hours of sunlight. Though dry and hot, it is often breezy due to ocean winds, ensuring good ventilation. Coupled with the rich experience of local farmers in planting and managing the crop, this has made Donghu watermelon a famous local specialty. In the past, every household in Donghu Village grew watermelons. When harvesting, inspectors from Shantou’s watermelon trading companies would come to examine the melons, stamp them with the “Donghu Watermelon” mark, and then ship them for sale across Southeast Asia. Farmers were very particular when picking the melons—they always left some tendrils and several leaves attached, so customers could tell the melons were high-quality just by seeing the healthy leaves and dried tendrils.