Beiliu Lychees

Beiliu Lychees

　　Beiliu lychees are known for their large size, bright color, thick flesh, sweet and refreshing taste, as well as excellent storability and resistance to discoloration or flavor change, making them very popular with consumers. In 1994, the Zhonglian Department of China selected Beiliu Guiwei lychees as a state gift for the State Affairs Commission of North Korea. In 1995, Beiliu earned the title "Hometown of Lychees in China." In 2004, it received Guangxi’s first certification as a pollution-free lychee production base. In 2006, Beiliu’s "Libao" brand Chicken-Mouth lychees, "Shunfeng" brand Guiwei lychees, and "Libao" brand He lychees were respectively awarded titles of Guangxi Famous-Brand Products and High-Quality Products.

　　Since 2002, Beiliu City has been implementing the project "Creating a Pollution-Free Lychee Production Demonstration Base County (City) in Guangxi." After years of effort, in December 2004, the Autonomous Region Department of Agriculture recognized Beiliu City as Guangxi’s first pollution-free agricultural product (lychee) production base county (city), with 520,000 mu of lychee production bases certified. Last year, the city was also awarded the title "Hometown of Lychees in China" by the National Forestry Administration.

　　To promote the "Hometown of Lychees in China" brand, this year Beiliu City has made the widespread adoption of pollution-free, standardized lychee production a foundational task to enhance fruit quality, market competitiveness, and market value. The city has employed various methods to publicize lychee production techniques and information, boosting growers' confidence and awareness of quality, and encouraging them to manage their orchards according to pollution-free standards. As a result, the adoption rate of pollution-free production techniques in grower households and orchards has exceeded 90%. In June of this year, Beiliu City successfully passed the assessment and certification of the Autonomous Region’s inspection and quarantine authorities, obtaining an export base filing number and the qualification to export lychees and longans. This creates the necessary conditions for Beiliu’s lychees and longans to be exported to Europe, the United States, and other international markets.

　　In recent years, Beiliu City has promoted the upgrading of inferior lychee varieties to superior ones by introducing techniques such as high-tree variety replacement, pruning back, and pollution-free pesticide application. As a result, the proportion of high-quality lychee varieties such as Guiwei, Chicken-Mouth, and Feizixiao has significantly increased. These premium varieties are of higher grade and stronger market competitiveness, often experiencing supply shortages in fresh markets, thereby enhancing overall market competitiveness.

　　Beiliu lychees have a long history and a rich diversity of varieties, and are one of the “Five Treasures of Beiliu.” In April 1995, Beiliu City was officially named "Hometown of Lychees in China" by relevant national authorities. As early as during the reign of Emperor He (89–105 AD) of the Han Dynasty, they were tribute fruits for the imperial court, as the poem goes: "Lychees from Jiaozhou arrived in Yongyuan, and tribute fruit in Tianbao was sourced from Fuling" (from Su Shi’s "Ode to Lychees"). Multiple editions of the "Beiliu County Annals" compiled during the Qing Dynasty document Beiliu’s specialty lychees, stating: "Lychees bloom in winter and bear fruit in summer, ripening around the Summer Solstice. Varieties include Damao lychees, Heiye lychees, Dingxiang lychees, Baila lychees, Qilin lychees, Bingtang lychees, and Nuomici lychees. Among these, Damao lychees are considered the best for their fragrant sweetness; Bingtang and Nuomici lychees are most famous for their thick flesh." The former has flesh resembling shrimp meat in color, high sugar content, and a fragrant honey-like taste. The latter can yield up to 24 fruits weighing one jin (500g), with pits as small as a grain of rice or typically as small as the tip of a chopstick — so small that after a single person eats their fill, the pits wouldn’t even fill a wine glass. Beiliu has long been known as the "Land of Lychees," and lychee production expanded greatly after the liberation. Today, the county has 1.72 million lychee trees, averaging two per person, with over 40 varieties and a peak yield of 4,000 tons. The county’s state-owned lychee farm alone has 15,000 lychee trees, producing up to 645 tons annually — currently the largest lychee farm in China and even Southeast Asia.

　　Beiliu lychees are famous for their excellent quality and abundant yield, characterized by large size, thin skin, thick flesh, small seeds, and a sweet fragrance. However, once picked, they deteriorate quickly: "the color changes on the first day, the flavor on the second, and both flavor and aroma on the third," making them difficult to store or transport. Therefore, aside from being consumed fresh, most are processed into dried lychees or lychee canned goods for sale both domestically and abroad. In Beiliu’s Zhonghe Village, there is an enormous "Lychee King" tree that covers several acres of land, with lush foliage and branches forming a grand canopy, resembling a cloud-kissed umbrella when viewed from afar. Up close, its roots twist like dragons encircling the trunk, too thick for several people to hug, and in bountiful years, the tree can yield ten thousand jin of fruit. Lingnan is also home to many ancient lychee trees dating back a thousand years, treasured by the world. Guangxi boasts countless lychee varieties, including Guiwei, Dingxiang, Nuomici, Tangbo, Liuyuehong, Feizixiao, Damao, Gufeng, He lychees, Heiye, Lvdai, Yulingqi, Zhuangyuanhong, Huoshan, Babaoxiang, Tianyan, Jinzho… Among these are numerous premium varieties. For example, Beiliu’s Damao lychee has a long history and remains delicious even after a thousand years of consumption. Guiwei lychees have pits as small as grains of rice — after eating your fill, the pile of pits won’t even fill a small wine glass.