SUMMER is the time to enjoy litchi, the most popular fruit in Guangdong Province. Buying litchi in supermarkets is so easy that it’s mundane, so why not find the best litchi for yourself in a traditional Guangdong summer activity.                 

    Conghua

    Conghua is one of the most important litchi production bases in China. Nuomici and feizixiao are the two most famous varieties that come from here. Every summer, fruit lovers from all over the province will rush to Taiping and Shengang townships. At the local litchi parks, they can enjoy as much fresh litchi as they can with no more than 50 yuan per person.

    There is a 300-years-old litchi tree in Mumian Village in Taiping. It is said that it had 2,400 kilograms of litchi in 1978.

    The village is also a famous place in the area because of the longevity of its trees. The ancient village is a typical traditional ancient Guangdong village. It has a temple that is approximately 1,000 years old and many stores which have existed there for more than 100 years.

    Qiangang Ancient Village is another hot spot for travelers. As one of the oldest villages in the province, it has many ancient buildings, such as traditional residential houses, temples and gardens. Most interestingly, roads in the village were built like a maze and surrounded by a moat. Travelers can get lost easily in the village as the ancients used them this way to repel outsiders.

    Transport: Drive to Conghua through Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway, Huanan Expressway, Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway and Jiebei Expressway.

    Accommodation: There is a wide selection of hotels and hostels in Conghua and you can also stay with the locals.

    Lianjiang

    Lianjiang has not only earned the title of “hometown of fruit” but also is the national birthplace of litchi. The ancient wild litchi forest on Xiexia Mountain is the country’s only reserved wild litchi forest. Since the Ming Dynasty, locals have protected this forest and its wild litchi. Apart from wild litchi, there are also many precious litchi varieties in the woods, such as huanglan, heilan and maolizi, which have made the place one of the best places in the province to pick up and enjoy litchi in summer. Since 2004, several litchi varieties such as feizixiao, guiwei and jizuili have been sold in Europe, North America and Southeast Asia.

    Guloupo Village is a famous place in Lianjiang for wampee. There are several previous varieties of wampee grown in the village. Due to the climate, the wampee tastes much sweeter and more watery than those from other parts of the country.

    Other than litchi and wampee, there are eight famous attractions in Lianjiang, including lakes, mountains, woods and temples. One of the three biggest reservoirs in Guangdong, Hedi Reservoir, is also located here. Travelers can enjoy a cool summer here with the beautiful natural environment and the much-loved soup made with fish from the reservoir.

    Transport: Drive from Shenzhen to Lianjiang through Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway, Guangzhou-Foshan Expressway, Foshan-Kaiping Expressway, Kaiping-Yangjiang Expressway and Yangjiang-Zhanjiang Expressway. Travelers can also take a train from Shenzhen Railway Station to Hechun Township in Lianjiang.

    Accommodation: There is a wide selection of hotels and hostels in Conghua and you can also stay with the locals.

    Gaozhou

    Gaozhou is called “the main litchi township in China” and “litchi kingdom” in the country. According to history, the litchis sent to Yang Yuhuan, a legendary concubine of Tang Dynasty Emperor Minghuang, were picked at the Gong Garden in Genzi Township. There are more than 10 precious varieties of litchi in Gong Garden and most litchi trees in the garden are more than 100 years old, eight of which are more than 1,000 years old. At that time, most of the litchis in the garden were given to ancient emperors as gifts every year.

    The most famous variety in Gaozhou is baitangyin, which is the finest litchi in the province. It ripens in May every year and was one of the main varieties given to emperors in old times.

    A new variety of litchi called zhonghuahong also has a high reputation among litchi lovers, but it is not widely known due to its small production volume.

    July is the best time of year to taste litchi in Gaozhou. Hongli Pavilion is the best place to go. Located in Genzi Township, the two-storey pavilion has all popular varieties for sale and travelers can enjoy the beautiful natural scenery from the top of the pavilion while enjoying the delicious fruit.

    Apart from litchi, travelers can also find many ancient places in Gaozhou to experience a traditional Cantonese culture.

    Transport: Drive from Shenzhen to Gaozhou through Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway, Guangzhou-Foshan Expressway, Foshan-Kaiping Expressway, Kaiping-Yangjiang Expressway, Yangjiang-Maoming Expressway and Maoing-Zhanjiang Expressway.

    Accommodation: There is a wide selection of hotels and hostels in Gaozhou and you can also stay with the locals.(Wang Yuanyuan)