Honghe Valley’s Golden Mango Festival in Yuanjiang County, Yuxi

Introduction

The Yuanjiang Golden Mango Festival has been held annually since 2004. The specific dates of the festival are determined by the county government based on the mango ripening time that year and are announced to the public, usually taking place in early or mid-June of each calendar year.

Yuanjiang mangoes are a specialty of Yuanjiang County in Yuxi City, Yunnan Province. There are 134 varieties of mangoes in Yuanjiang, with the most common being the “Three-Year Mango,” named for its three-year fruiting cycle. This variety is known for its sweet, smooth taste and high juice content.

The Reba area of Yuanjiang is located in a low-altitude, dry, and hot valley, rich in light, temperature, water, and soil resources. The average annual temperature in the dam area is 23.8°C, with no frost throughout the year, making it home to exceptional natural climate conditions, often referred to as a “natural greenhouse.”

Mangoes are tropical fruit trees that require relatively high growing temperatures, with an average annual temperature of 20-30°C being suitable for mango growth. The best conditions needed for mango growing perfectly align with the natural climatic conditions of Yuanjiang County. Therefore, Yuanjiang mangoes are known for their high sugar content, pure flavor, and attractive appearance, making them a favored variety among merchants from various regions.

Since 1989, Yuanjiang County has actively mobilized and organized local farmers to cultivate mangoes, adapting to the local conditions and developing a comprehensive set of cultivation and management techniques. The area under mango cultivation has expanded annually, with production increasing each year. By the end of 2001, it reached a peak of 60,000 acres and an annual output of around 25,000 tons, earning it recognition as a mango base county in Yunnan Province. Among the 134 varieties of mangoes grown in Yuanjiang, the newly promoted high-quality varieties include “Tai Nong No. 1,” “Golden Phoenix,” “Shui Ying Da,” and “Pa La Ying Da.” Since 2004, the People’s Government of Yuxi City, the Provincial Tourism Bureau, and the Provincial Department of Commerce have jointly organized the annual “Golden Mango” Festival in Yuanjiang County, further enhancing the reputation and development of Yuanjiang mangoes and mango products.

Specialty

Yuanjiang mangoes are a specialty of Yuanjiang County in Yuxi City, Yunnan Province. Yuanjiang has 134 varieties of mangoes, the most common being the “Three-Year Mango,” which is named for its three-year fruiting cycle. It is known for its sweet, smooth texture and high juice content.

The Reba area of Yuanjiang is located in a low-altitude, dry, and hot valley with abundant resources of light, temperature, water, and soil. The average annual temperature in the dam area is 23.8°C, and there is no frost throughout the year, offering exceptional natural climate conditions, often referred to as a “natural greenhouse.”

Mangoes are tropical fruit trees that require relatively high growing temperatures, with an average annual temperature of 20-30°C being suitable for their growth. The optimal conditions required for mango growth perfectly align with the natural climatic conditions of Yuanjiang County. As a result, Yuanjiang mangoes are known for their high sugar content, pure flavor, and attractive appearance, making them a favored choice among merchants from various regions.

Since 1989, Yuanjiang County has actively mobilized and organized local farmers to cultivate mangoes, adapting to local characteristics and developing a comprehensive set of cultivation and management techniques. The area devoted to mango cultivation has expanded each year, with production increasing annually. By the end of 2001, it reached a peak of 60,000 acres, with a total output of around 25,000 tons, earning it recognition as a mango production base county in Yunnan Province. Among the 134 mango varieties grown in Yuanjiang, “Tai Nong No. 1,” “Golden Phoenix,” “Shui Ying Da,” and “Pa La Ying Da” are new high-quality varieties being promoted.

Since 2004, the People’s Government of Yuxi City, the Provincial Tourism Bureau, and the Provincial Department of Commerce have jointly organized the annual “Golden Mango” Festival in Yuanjiang County. This festival has further enhanced the reputation and development of Yuanjiang mangoes and mango products, attracting over 200,000 visitors during the festival period in 2016.

During the mango festival, numerous exciting programs take place, including Mango Street, Long Street Banquets, mango-eating competitions, and water-splashing festivals. Today, the Yuanjiang Mango Festival has become one of the top ten festivals in Yunnan, attracting many tourists from Qujing, Kunming, Honghe, Pu’er, and beyond to celebrate the event every year.