MUZIChinese Matrix
Fruits and Nuts · FFET10476
A wrinkled red shell encloses sweet, juicy white flesh, eaten fresh, sun-dried or preserved in honey.
Melons and other fruits eaten fresh, cooked into dishes or dried.
Lychee grows on an evergreen tree and has a wrinkled shell that turns red when ripe, enclosing sweet, juicy white flesh. It is grown in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Fujian and eaten fresh, sun-dried or preserved in honey. A treatise with a colophon dated 1059 already describes Fujian lychee varieties, preservation methods and trade.
Lychee grows on an evergreen tree, bearing paired fruit with wrinkled shells that turn red as they ripen. Inside is sweet, juicy white flesh.2
A historical text describes lychee ripening in the fifth and sixth lunar months. A treatise with a colophon dated 1059 gives a detailed account of Fujian lychee; that date establishes a written record, not the beginning of cultivation.1,2
A Song-dynasty account describes lychee in four Fujian prefectures, identifying Fuzhou as the most productive and Xinghua's fruit as the most remarkable. Other historical writing also records lychee in Lingnan and Sichuan. Today it is grown in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Fujian, including Gaozhou in Maoming, Guangdong.1,2,3,4
Lychee is eaten fresh or preserved. Song-dynasty writing records drying after treatment with red salt, sun-drying and preserving peeled fruit in honey. Modern uses also include canned fruit, juice and fruit wine.1,2,3
Lychee is distinctive for its sweet, juicy white flesh. A Song-dynasty treatise devotes sections to its transport and preservation, which shows how closely these were tied to the lychee trade.1
Song-dynasty writing records Fuzhou lychee traveling by river, road and sea. A May 2025 report states that Maoming in Guangdong has more than 1.4 million mu of lychee and produced over 500,000 metric tons in 2024, sold to Guangzhou, the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta and elsewhere. A June 2025 report gives Gaozhou in Maoming a planted area of 591,400 mu in 2025 and an expected output of over 280,000 metric tons.1,4,5
A tale of the Tang court says fresh lychee was rushed by relay to Chang'an so that Yang Guifei could enjoy it. This is a legend about transporting the fruit.
Told in: The story is set at the Tang court and in Chang'an; no specific region of circulation is identified.
