Across Huilai County’s 17,360 acres of lychee orchards, branches sag under the weight of ripening fruit as this “Land of Lychees” anticipates an 110,000-ton harvest. The impending bounty coincides with upgraded rail services at Huilai High-Speed Railway Station, where new weekend shuttle trains from Guangzhou and Shenzhen will deliver urban visitors directly to the fragrant groves of China’s southeastern coast.
Nature’s Perfect Recipe
Huilai’s unique microclimate – 23°C average temperatures, 1,850 annual sunshine hours and 1,700mm rainfall – creates ideal growing conditions along this coastal belt. Recognized as a National Geographical Indication Product, Huilai lychees represent one of the region’s “Five Treasures,” their translucent flesh and floral aroma coveted since ancient times. Orchards cascade across diverse terrains from Huteng Town’s hills to Shenquan’s coastal platforms, painting a variegated agricultural landscape.
Railway Meets Orchard
From June 15, five additional weekend services will connect major Guangdong cities to the lychee heartland, including G8404 (arriving Huilai 16:31) and G8406 (12:01) from Guangzhou East Station. The station’s “Golden Phoenix Service Team” – trained in local dialects and tourism guidance – provides seamless transfers to twelve key picking villages. Visitors can disembark at 12:34 via G8401 from Shantou and be tasting sun-warmed fruit in Wufutian Village within the hour.
Sweetening Rural Revitalization
This rail-agriculture integration exemplifies Guangdong’s rural vitalization strategy, where premium produce meets experiential tourism. Last season’s “Lychee Express” transported over 8,000 visitors, generating 12 million yuan in ancillary revenue for local homestays and eateries. As the crimson harvest begins, Huilai’s railway station stands ready to write a new chapter in China’s high-speed rail story – one where economic development arrives not just rapidly, but deliciously.
Cultural Roots Bear Fruit
The lychee’s cultural significance runs deep in Huilai, where cultivation records date back to the Tang Dynasty. Local growers still practice time-honored techniques like “honeybee pollination” and “moonlight harvesting” – traditions that will be showcased during the upcoming Lychee Cultural Festival. “We’re not just selling fruit, we’re sharing a 1,300-year agricultural heritage,” explains Chen Weiming, a fifth-generation orchardist whose family tends 200 ancient lychee trees. This cultural dimension adds richness to the tourist experience, with many visitors participating in traditional lychee-drying workshops and folklore performances after their orchard visits.
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