In cities such as Shanghai, same-day order and next-day delivery services now allow consumers to enjoy fresh Guangdong lychees. The seamless transportation of lychees from the Greater Bay Area to the Yangtze River Delta region reflects a broader shift — as transportation improves, average prices drop and consumers benefit. Lychee-infused drinks have taken over tea shops. Lychee wine and juices are extending the product's life cycle. Summer tourists are flocking to not just Penang, Malaysia, for durian, but also to Maoming in Guangdong province for lychee-picking, visiting lychee-themed parks and attending lychee carnivals. The “Lychee Hometown Tour“ was launched earlier this year along with a major festival in Gaozhou, Guangdong. The next step could be pairing the fruit with music festivals and pop concerts.

　　This is agri-tourism with Chinese characteristics, one that increases farmers' incomes, boosts local economies, and turns regional produce into national, even global, brands. Yet even in this booming market, structural issues remain. Many farmers still lack bargaining power. Middlemen and wholesalers still squeeze farmers' profit margin. Sure, e-commerce has been of help, but without scale or professional marketing support, many producers still struggle to derive full benefit from sales.

　　The solution lies in aggregation and smart partnerships. By developing a “cooperative-company-farmer“ model, producers can seek a geographical indication tag and compete in the market as a bloc. In fact, institutions such as the Sun Yat-sen University are providing R&D support and marketing expertise, and developing processed products. This will help farmers to unlock the full value of lychees.