"Red beauty" oranges at an orchard in Tangqiao town, Zhangjiagang, are ready to enter the market. [Photo/WeChat account: zjgcitynews]

A new species of orange known as the "red beauty", grown in Zhangjiagang, East China's Jiangsu province, has been gaining popularity for its sweet and juicy taste.

It is a hybrid variety originally from Japan that was later introduced to Xiangshan county, Zhejiang province. Zhangjiagang later began growing the species in 2017, but has encountered a number of difficulties growing it due to a lack of experience and sunshine.

Through research and experimentation, local technicians were finally able to find solutions to most of the issues, and production capacity has now reached 2,000 kilograms per mu (0.067 hectare).

During this year's orange seminar in Jiangsu province, which was held in Zhangjiagang on Dec 3, the red beauty won two first-place prizes and one second-place prize.

More than 110 industrial representatives from around the province have visited orchards in Zhangjiagang and heaped praise on its oranges, hailing them as the best in Jiangsu.

The city is now growing oranges over an area of 140 hectares, and the local agricultural department has been making efforts to cultivate new species and introduce new technology in a bid to upgrade its industrial structure and increase incomes for local farmers.