The harvest season for Xinhui's large green mandarins (新会大青柑) is underway, with farmers busy picking the fruit and preparing for processing and sales.

At a local orchard spanning around 13.3 hectares, trees are laden with plump green mandarins. Each fruit currently being harvested weighs more than 80 grams and is just beginning to change color, making it ideal for producing high-quality dried peel. More than 10 workers help with harvesting each day, and the orchard has received orders for 90 metric tons of fruit this year. In addition to traditional sales channels, the mandarins are marketed through livestreaming.

From the Start of Autumn to Frost's Descent, Xinhui mandarins have green peels covered with dense, plump oil glands, while the pulp remains immature. The peels harvested during this period are used to make Daqingpi (large green dried Xinhui mandarin peel), a traditional Chinese medicinal ingredient. It is used to soothe the liver, disperse qi stagnation and relieve food stagnation.

In recent years, Xinhui District in Jiangmen has continued to extend its chenpi value chain by leveraging its mandarin resources. Alongside traditional chenpi production, a growing range of products has emerged, including tea drinks made with large green Xinhui mandarins and mandarin-themed cultural and creative goods. These developments are driving closer integration of cultivation, processing and cultural tourism, helping increase rural incomes.

Author | He Fengyu

Photos | Xiangyue Xinhui (相约新会)