Nanshan Lychee: From Royal Tribute to Shenzhen’s Sweet Signature

In Shenzhen’s Nanshan District, Guiwei lychee trees more than 300 years old are laden with red fruit; the “Lychee King,” which can yield 2,000 jin, or about 1,000 kg, from a single tree each year, still stands tall; and the “picking rights plus naming rights” for century-old trees have sold out. Nanshan Lychee, a Lingnan delicacy that traces its history back to the Tang and Song dynasties and was once offered as a tribute to the imperial court, is now staging a major industrial upgrade.
Nanshan lychees are prized for their large size, thick flesh, abundant juice, and sweet flavor with low acidity. Their exceptional quality is supported by the district’s location, surrounded by sea on three sides, as well as its red and sandy loam soils and maritime climate. About 4,696 lychee trees over 100 years old remain here, forming a “living gene bank.” The main varieties are Nuomici, Guiwei, and Feizixiao. The Jiaqing-era Xin’an County Gazetteer of the Qing Dynasty described them as “the finest of fruits.”
Preserving these trees is the mission of Xili Orchard. In cooperation with South China Agricultural University, the orchard has developed key techniques such as spiral girdling, fresh-keeping, grading, and automated sorting. An integrated rejuvenation program for old trees includes organic fertilizer, returning pruned branches to the orchard as mulch, heading-back pruning, light trapping for pest control, and letting selected branches rest in rotation. These methods have been codified in the local standard Technical Regulations for Rejuvenating Aged Lychee Trees, and have raised yields to 3,000 kg per mu at the Moon Bay demonstration orchard. In 2023, a Nanshan Lychee intellectual property protection workstation was launched to strengthen the product’s geographical indication protection.
In terms of branding, the Nanshan Lychee Festival dates back to 1988. To date, the Nanshan Lychee Culture and Tourism Festival has been held for 26 consecutive sessions. In 2006, Nanshan Lychee became China’s first lychee product to receive national geographical indication protection, followed by trademark registration in 2010. In May this year, an innovative auction offered the “picking rights plus naming rights” for 199 ancient trees across 152 lots through offline and live-streamed bidding. The sell-through rate reached 100 percent, drawing more than 40 well-known companies. The orchard has also developed processed products such as dried lychees, lychee honey, and lychee wine. The “Shuangli” brand has earned Green Food certification and is exported to Europe and the United States.
From a tribute fruit of the Tang and Song dynasties to a protected geographical indication, and from century-old trees to innovative auctions, Nanshan Lychee is building a three-tier brand system covering the regional brand, enterprise brands, and product brands. By integrating cultural IP with the experience economy, it is polishing Shenzhen’s sweet golden calling card.