Huaping Mango in Lijiang

Huaping County (华坪县), located in Lijiang (丽江), has leveraged its unique geographical environment and agricultural development strategies to make its mango industry shine. The county is situated in the Jinsha River (金沙江) dry-hot river valley, characterized by a subtropical low-altitude hot valley climate. Its location between 26°21′ and 26°57′ north latitude provides abundant sunshine and large diurnal temperature differences, which not only create the unique quality of Huaping mangoes but also result in a later maturation period compared to other domestic production areas.

Huaping’s mangoes reach their optimal harvesting period from July to November each year, when most other domestic mango-producing regions have already finished their harvest. Varieties such as Kate, Re’nong No. 1, and Shengxin, which are the main cultivars in Huaping, thrive during this period. Among them, Kate, a very late-maturing variety, covers an area of 134,000 acres with a fresh fruit yield of 178,200 tons and a sugar-to-acid ratio of 48.06. Re’nong No. 1, a mid-season variety, covers 127,000 acres with a yield of 132,700 tons and a sugar-to-acid ratio of 52.8. Shengxin, a late-season variety, covers 33,800 acres with a yield of 41,600 tons and a sugar-to-acid ratio of 52.67. This year, Huaping’s mango production is expected to exceed 465,000 tons, with an output value surpassing 3.05 billion yuan.

Huaping mangoes are renowned for their superior quality, featuring large and well-shaped fruits, sweet and fragrant taste, and delicate texture. They have a high nutritional value, with soluble solids content 1.2% – 2.5% higher than that of mangoes from other domestic regions. They are also certified as selenium-rich fruits. In terms of appearance, mangoes grown at altitudes between 1,000 and 1,600 meters, with a sunshine rate of over 60% during the coloring period, exhibit vibrant colors such as red, purple, orange, and yellow. The standard fruit weighs around 400 grams, with the heaviest Kate reaching up to 3,400 grams. Currently, 60,394.5 acres in the county have obtained national green food certification, and 4,019.7 acres have obtained national organic product certification.

Since the first mango tree was planted in 1965, Huaping has become the largest mango-growing county in China, with a planting area reaching 459,000 acres by the end of 2023. The county has established a germplasm repository with 340 mango varieties, as well as three 10,000-acre demonstration bases, six 1,000-acre demonstration bases, and 22 100-acre demonstration gardens. Guozishan in Rongjiang Town (荣将镇果子山) has been honored with the Guinness World Record for the “largest mango plantation,” and there are three towns with mango plantations covering over 100,000 acres each, making them among China’s top ten billion-yuan villages in special industries.

With the support of research institutions such as the South Subtropical Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Huaping has developed standardized green and organic planting techniques and harvesting and grading standards. Its planting and green pest control technologies are among the best in China.

The booming mango industry has enriched the local tourism experience. Huaping County actively hosts Mango Cultural Festivals and Farmers’ Harvest Festivals, attracting tourists to enjoy leisure sightseeing and mango picking. Enthusiastic fruit farmers lead visitors through the mango orchards, sharing knowledge about mango cultivation. Tourists can pick the vibrant fruits themselves, experiencing the joy of harvest. In the orchards, a unique sight can be seen—roads and orchard grounds are covered with coal gangue, which not only effectively utilizes waste coal gangue but also transforms former mines into fruit mountains. Additionally, Huaping has developed the Longtou Guozishan Mango Manor in Rongjiang Town as a rural revitalization demonstration site, integrating ethnic culture and tourism resources with the mango industry to promote all-for-one tourism focused on sunshine and health care.

To enhance the value of mangoes, Huaping County has continuously extended its industry chain, with seven full-industry-chain companies producing a range of products such as mango dried fruit, mango juice, mango vinegar, and mango wine. Leveraging “Internet +,” online celebrities have helped boost sales, expanding the market for Huaping mangoes. Today, the mango industry has become the most widespread and supportive wealth-creating industry in Huaping County, and a “booster” for rural revitalization. Eighty thousand people in the county are engaged in green industries centered around mangoes, with an average household income of 186,000 yuan. Looking ahead, Huaping will continue to focus on variety breeding, quality improvement, brand building, and standardized production to bring higher-quality late-maturing plateau mangoes to visitors and consumers.