Shatou Late-Maturing Lychees

Shatou Late-Maturing Lychees

　　The late-maturing lychee production area in Shatou Town, Cangwu County, is located in the northern part of Wuzhou City, between 111°29′28″–111°37′24″ east longitude and 23°49′–24°01′25″ north latitude. It includes areas such as Shatou Town and Shiqiao Town in Cangwu County, situated in the Dong’an River Basin, and represents the northernmost edge of the lychee-suitable cultivation zone in Guangxi. National Highway 207, a secondary road connecting Wuzhou and Guilin City, runs through the middle of the base. It is 330 km north of Guilin City and 230 km east of Guangzhou City. This region boasts unique ecological conditions and high-quality late-maturing lychee resources, with abundant light, temperature, water, and heat resources, as well as fertile soil, all of which are highly conducive to the growth of late-maturing lychees. The lychees grown here have high flower-setting quality, stable and high yields. The fresh fruit has crisp flesh, excellent quality, small to medium-sized seeds, vibrant appearance, slightly thick skin that aids in transportation. The lychees come to market in late July, about 7–10 days later than the traditional “Gufeng Lychee” in the county, and 10–15 days later than the main lychee-producing areas in Guangdong and Guangxi. This places their ripening period after the main lychee-producing regions nationwide, offering promising market prospects. The development of this lychee base was listed as an outstanding project under the national “Spark Program” and an achievement of the “Eighth Five-Year Plan” agricultural science and technology research. In 1997, it was awarded the “Wuzhou Science and Technology Progress Second Prize” by the Wuzhou Municipal Government. The fruit received on-site evaluations by relevant regional experts for three consecutive years from 1993 to 1995, and won the 1995 Guangxi Quality Late-Maturing Lychee Award.

　　Currently, the main varieties of late-maturing lychees planted in Shatou are Chicken Beak Lychee (Jizui Lychee) and He Lychee, covering an area of over 4,500 mu with a yield of around 6,000 tons. Shatou late-maturing lychees are large and bright red, with vivid coloration. The average fruit diameter reaches 2.5–3 cm, and the flesh thickness averages 1–1.5 cm. The flesh is semi-transparent, with atrophied small seeds, and an edible rate of over 80%. When the skin is peeled, a rich fruity aroma wafts out, and the taste is sweet, juicy, and refreshingly delicious, leaving a lasting impression.