Concubine's Smile [Photo by Zhang Fan / Zhuhai Daily]

A bumper harvest of 4,300 tons of lychees is predicted this year on 21,000 mu (1,400 hectares, 3,459 acres) of plantations in Doumen District, the local Agriculture & Rural Affairs Bureau announced June 1.

Fruit from 280 mu (19 hectares, 46 acres) of "Concubine's Smile" at Tianyuan Orchard in Bajia Village, Doumen Town entered the market May 26, half a month early. Affected by relatively low rainfall, the fruits are smaller than usual. However, high sweetness and good taste attract many orders, according to Lai Yihong, person in charge of the orchard.

Concubine's Smile (Feizixiao) variety was an imperial tribute as of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) due to thin skin, thick flesh, large fruit, and small nucleus. A legend is that fast horses were ridden to death as couriers raced non-stop from Guangzhou to Xi'an of Shanxi Province. They were taking fresh lychees to Yang Yuhuan (719-756), the favorite concubine of Tang Emperor Xuanzong (reigned 712-756), just to win a smile from the beauty!

In the meantime, "Imperial Golden Ball" (Yujinqiu), a species unique to Doumen, is gradually ripening. More than 140 mu (9 hectares, 22 acres) at Guixin Orchard in Dachikan Village, Doumen Town have produced fruit after two years of grafting. The yield is expected to reach 30,000 kg and will enter the market around mid-June.