A different kind of sweet

Fruit farmers at Longjiang town select luohan guo that fit the standards for sale.

The traditional way of preserving the fruit was to dry it in an oven, a process that often resulted in a bitter and astringent fruit, losing its original sweetness.

Fan went to Beijing, Yulin and Nanning to learn from the specialists, asking them how to dehydrate fruit that had more than 72 percent moisture content.

In 2007, after three years of trial and error in his self-built workshop, Fan and his team finally developed a new technique of drying the fruit that retained all its flavor and nutrition. Hot air controlled at 45 C to 65 C is used to dry the fruit over about 10 days.

"By using this method, the fruit retains its golden-brown color and you can see it is still covered by its natural fuzz. The inside of the fruit remains crisp and light instead of being scorched. The most important thing, the nutrition is preserved," Fan says.

After making sure he had a good product, Fan turned to packaging.

He realized a proper image was important and he had the fruit neatly packed according to size and quality, using the beautiful Guilin scenery and images of the fruit for his box designs.

Then he went on the road, attending all kinds of agricultural fairs around China collecting orders, which he would send back to his fellow villagers.

"My own company is but one brick in the whole construction. To build a mature industry, we require farmers, companies and distribution bases," Fan says. "It all takes time."

Fan's efforts have resulted in the wider distribution and recognition of this little brown furry gourd.

It is now sold to more than 20 countries and regions including Japan and America. The annual yield in the village has increased from 2 million to 50 million while the whole town's production has shot up to 1,200 million.

This year, Fan plans to enhance the fruit's productivity.

"If you want to make progress, you have to innovate," Fan says as he surveys the luxuriant patches of young vines set amidst the misty hills.

"It's all sweet."