MA XUEJING/CHINA DAILY

　　Lychees, small, red, fragrant, juicy and fiercely seasonal, have become an unlikely economic protagonist. From trending make-up tutorials inspired by the fruit's ruby-red hue to surging sales in far-flung areas such as the Xinjiang Uygur and Xizang autonomous regions, lychees are more than satisfying cravings; they are opening a window to China's evolving consumption patterns and the quiet transformation of its domestic market.

　　Behind the sweetness lies something far more significant: a glimpse into how China's unified national market is reshaping logistics, boosting local economies, and turning perishable produce into a symbol of modern economic connectivity.

　　Lychees aren't new to the Chinese palate. But this year, they're experiencing a cultural and commercial renaissance. It helps that this is a bumper harvest year, when the fruit trees cover 7.52 million mu (501 thousand hectares) and the yield is expected to reach 3.45 million tons — double that of last year. But the story goes beyond supply.

　　Mid-season varieties like Guiwei and Nuomici have matured. Fashion icon Zhong Chuxi's “lychee look“ has already made headlines. On Xiaohongshu, where Chinese Instagram meets Amazon, the fruit trended for weeks. People who'd never cared for lychees are now ordering them by the crate.

　　Even more remarkably, places like the Ningxia Hui and Xizang autonomous regions — hundreds of miles from any lychee orchard — have become major growth markets, with year-on-year sales jumping by more than 3.6 times. The old Tang Dynasty (618-907) joke — “one day it loses color, two days it loses fragrance, three days it's spoiled“ — has been rewritten.