As the 2026 Guangdong City Basketball League (Yue BA) is ongoing, we're launching a poster series that looks at the game through the lens of Guangdong's manufacturing prowess. Each edition highlights one city and the signature product that defines its industrial DNA.
Now, the series continues with Heyuan, Meizhou, and Huizhou—three cities, three industries, one rising province.
Heyuan, the city that springs to power
Heyuan Springs. Player Charged.
Nestled around Wanlv Lake, the largest drinking water source in South China, with a surface area of 370 square kilometers and water quality consistently at national Class I standards, Heyuan has become China's undisputed water capital. In 2025, the city's packaged drinking water revenue ranked first among all prefecture-level cities nationwide.
The numbers tell the story. In 2025, the water and beverage industry in the Heyuan National High-tech Zone achieved an output value of 7.334 billion yuan, with value-added growth exceeding 30%. The city has assembled a who's who of the industry: Nongfu Spring, which first arrived in 2004 and has since expanded to three phases of investment; China Resources C'estbon; Jinmailang; Baixiang Food; and, most recently, Wahaha's Hongsheng Beverage.
But Heyuan isn't stopping there. With a dedicated Water Economy Industrial Park spanning 8.3 square kilometers and a complete industrial chain from raw material supply, packaging manufacturing, and logistics distribution, the city is building the infrastructure to keep Guangdong, and beyond, hydrated and energized.
Meizhou, the city that grows champions
Fight for Pomelos. Score for Meizhou.
With 650,000 mu (approx. 43,333 hectares) of pomelo orchards and an annual output value exceeding 8.9 billion yuan across the entire industrial chain, Meizhou pomelo is far more than a local specialty. It's an economic engine that has lifted over 100,000 farming families and turned "Meizhou Gold Pomelo" into a national brand.
But here's what makes Meizhou different. The city has transformed a traditional agricultural product into a high-tech industry. In Nangu Village, Yanyang Village, farmers now manage orchards with water-fertilizer integration systems, drones for precision spraying, and intelligent sensors that monitor soil conditions in real time. The shift from "experience-based" to "data-driven" farming has made Meizhou pomelo more consistent in quality and more competitive in the market.
The innovation extends far beyond the orchard. Through molecular biotechnology, discarded young pomelos that once had no value are now extracted for naringin, a compound used in health products and cosmetics, selling for 300,000 yuan per ton. Every part of the fruit is utilized: the outer skin becomes essential oils, the spongy layer becomes dietary fiber, and the flesh becomes juice and preserves. The result is a fully integrated industrial chain that spans planting, processing, distribution, and even agritourism.
Huizhou, the city that awakens the senses
Huizhou Scents. Awaken the Senses.
In the mountains of Huidong County, a unique treasure is taking root: Green Qinan Agarwood (绿棋楠沉香), a rare and highly prized variety of agarwood known for its distinctive dark green oil veins and exceptionally rich aroma. As of 2025, Huidong has cultivated 44,000 mu (2,933 hectares) of agarwood, with Green Qinan accounting for 19,000 mu (about 1,266 hectares), and aims to expand to 100,000 mu (about 6,666 hectares) by 2027.
What makes Green Qinan extraordinary is its speed. Unlike traditional agarwood varieties that take over a decade to form resin, Green Qinan can be induced to produce high-quality resin through artificial drilling within just two to three years, with harvest ready in five to six years. And the quality is remarkable; some trees produce agarwood of "sinking grade" quality, with top-grade resin selling for as much as 200 yuan per gram.
Huizhou has turned this natural gift into a full-fledged industry. From seedling nurseries and standardized plantations to processing facilities producing tea, essential oils, incense sticks, skincare products, and jewelry, the city has built an integrated supply chain. The government has designated Green Qinan as one of its "billion-yuan industries" and established a dedicated testing center and a germplasm resource repository.
Author & Poster | Jiang Chang
