A fruit farmer in Yongchun county, Fujian province, pick lychees. [Photo/IC]

The recent hit TV series The Litchi Road fictionalizes a low-ranking Tang Dynasty (618-907) official's nearly impossible mission to transport lychees over a long journey.

For over a millennium, locals in Fujian province have relished lychees, a tradition that began over 2,000 years ago with their cultivation. Fuzhou lychees were a tribute to the imperial court for 1,200 years, from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

During the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Fujian official Cai Xiang authored the world's first Lychee Catalog, highlighting Fujian as a premier lychee producer with many varieties from Putian.

The history of lychees in Fujian intertwines with the Maritime Silk Road and cultural exchanges. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Zheng He's voyages to the West included lychees loaded from Taiping Port in Changle. In ancient international trade, Fujian and Guangdong lychees were popular currencies alongside gold, silver and gems.

In 1903 and 1906, an American missionary successfully transplanted lychee seedlings from Fujian to the US state of Florida, leading to their cultivation in the southern United States, Brazil and beyond.

Fujian boasts diverse lychee varieties like "Song Jiaxiang" as well as "Chen Zi" and "Zhuang Yuan Red", each offering superior quality and delightful taste. For a truly indulgent experience, Zhangzhou's "giant beauty" lychees are a standout, known for their large size, excellent taste and good storage capabilities.

Additionally, Fujian locals not only enjoy fresh lychees but also savor them with lamb soup on Dashu, or Major Heat, the 12th solar term of the Chinese Astronomical Calendar, or they dip them in soy sauce for a surprising yet delightful treat. Surplus lychees are then turned into dried fruit, preserves and canned treats for year-round enjoyment.

Today, leveraging modern logistics networks, Fujian's fruit has embraced the Belt and Road Initiative, with the province exporting 367,000 metric tons of fruit last year to 40 countries and regions worldwide.