Foreign execs, expats savor Nanshan lychee harvest

Video by Lin Songtao

Representatives from global enterprises and expats living in Nanshan District gathered at the Xili Orchard on Saturday for a unique litchi-picking event, which aimed to foster cultural exchange and strengthen ties between local Shenzhen communities and international professionals.

Peter Taubert (L), manager at AHK Greater China, and Max, project manager in manufacturing at Siemens Healthineers in Nanshan, enjoy litchi picking and pose for a picture at the orchard. Photos by Zhang Yu

The event, organized by the “Go Global” Global Service Center, brought together delegates from Epson, Siemens, Philips, Decathlon, Metro AG, Tesla, Mizuho Bank, and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China to foster collaboration and cultural exchange through a shared agricultural experience.

Artem Rublev from Russia takes a selfie with a bag of freshly picked litchis during the orchard event.

The unexpected heavy rain before the event didn’t dampen the participants’ enthusiasm. After arriving at the litchi-picking area, the attendees quickly immersed themselves in the lush, green litchi orchard, plucking ripe fruit, and engaging in conversations beneath the shade of fruit-laden trees.

“I lived in Beijing before. It was in Shenzhen that I tasted fresh litchis for the first time,” said Peter Taubert, manager at AHK Greater China. “They are very delicious!”

“This is my first time picking litchis! Eating them fresh straight from the tree is an incredible experience,” said Max, project manager in manufacturing at Siemens Healthineers in Nanshan, speaking to Shenzhen Daily.

The activity provided a welcome respite from urban routines, with many highlighting the joy of disconnecting from work to savor nature’s offerings.

Safakath Karuthedath, a professor at Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, picks litchis during the event at Xili Orchard in Nanshan District on Saturday.

“This is a very good event and it is a great way to escape from work, learn about the local varieties available here and the farming culture, and meet new people. I did not know that litchi has different varieties and now I have learned a lot of new things,” said Safakath Karuthedath, a professor at Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School.

Francine Hadjisotiriou, general manager of the European Union Chamber of Commerce South China Chapter, brought her family to the event, who were happy to learn litchi-related knowledge.

“What’s interesting this time is that they taught us how to pick, the differences between the varieties, which day is right to pick each variety, and how to open them. It’s the first time we have learned this. This was very useful,” Hadjisotiriou’s husband shared.

Francine Hadjisotiriou (L), general manager of the European Union Chamber of Commerce South China Chapter, pose for a photo with her family at the event, where they learned about litchi varieties and picking techniques.

The Nanshan litchi harvest season officially kicked off on June 6 as the early-maturing Feizixiao variety made its sweet debut, signaling the start of a harvest that is expected to bring 5,000 tons of fresh fruit to the market.

Nanshan-produced litchis are the first in China to receive national geographical indication (GI), a protected status similar to that of Champagne in France. Mid-to-late maturing varieties, including Nuomici and Guiwei, hit the market around June 15, extending the harvest and sales period into early July.

The Xili Orchard, a demonstration base for litchi production in Nanshan, manages three litchi production bases with a total area of nearly 133.33 hectares — the Xili headquarters (Niucheng) base, the Nanshan litchi Yueliang Bay demonstration park, and the Lilin demonstration park.