Summer has arrived, and lychee season is in full swing. Conghua District in Guangzhou—a leading late-ripening lychee production area and the core lychee-growing region of Guangzhou—now cultivates the fruit across approximately 293,800 mu (about 19,587 hectares), accounting for 53% of Guangzhou's total. This year, the flowering rate reached nearly 90%, with over 70% of trees now bearing fruit. Its total output is expected to hit 70,000 tons.
Conghua grows 116 lychee varieties, including premium types like Jinggang Hongnuo, Guiwei, Nuomici, Shuangke Huaizhi, and seedless lychees. Harvesting will begin in mid-to-late June, peaking through late July, with sales extending until mid-August. This staggered season allows Conghua to dominate the late-ripening market, differentiating it from China's early-season regions.
Partnering with South China Agricultural University, Conghua has pioneered a global breakthrough: cryogenic preservation technology for lychees. This end-to-end innovation enables worldwide distribution. In 2025, Conghua plans to export over 4,000 tons of cryogenically frozen lychees and reserve more than 5,000 tons for storage, ensuring year-round global access to fresh Conghua lychees.
This year, the district released an open-orchard map (100 Orchards) and a Lychee Procurement Guide, along with four curated tourism routes and a "2025 Lychee-Picking Map." These cover 20 standardized orchards across core production zones like Taiping, Wenquan, Jiangpu, and Ao'tou.
Tourism routes:
Qiangang Nuomici Route
Itinerary: Guangzhou Conghua → Qiangang Ancient Village (Taiping Town) → Tianren Shanshui Scenic Area
Duration: 2 days
Shuiting Guiwei Route
Itinerary: Guangzhou Conghua → Luodong Artisan Village → Conghua Lychee Cultural Expo Park → North Latitude Forest Camp
Duration: 2 days
Shuangke Huaizhi Route
Itinerary: Guangzhou Conghua → Nanping Meditation Town → Shimen National Forest Park
Duration: 2 days
Jinggang Hongnuo Route
Itinerary: Guangzhou Conghua → Jinggang Village → Lingnan Chinese Medicine Cultural Expo Park
Duration: 1 day
Reporter: Huang Chuxuan
Photo: Wu Weihong
Editor: Wei Shen, James, Shen He
