In 2026, Guangdong's lychee production is expected to be between 1.1 million and 1.35 million metric tons. Beyond production figures, what draws greater attention is how Guangdong lychee has carried forward a cultural relay spanning thousands of years. Through crossover integration of games and micro-dramas, "cyber lychee" has emerged as a new favorite among young consumers.
37 Interactive Entertainment has incorporated lychee cultural elements into six globally distributed games like "Trading Legend," developing a crossover edition titled "You Li Quan Qiu" (Traveling the World with Lychee). In Bao'an District of Shenzhen, the 7th Huangtian Lychee Culture Festival integrated esports elements by hosting a friendly match of Honor of Kings, while cosplayers paraded around to interact and take photos with visitors.
An ancient lychee orchard with a thousand years of history is now writing new chapters. On May 16th, filming kicked off for the inspirational youth micro-drama "Orienteering Teens Meet the Lion Dance" at Luduan Ancient Lychee Garden in Maonan District, Maoming. On May 20th, the 2026 Rural Micro-drama Call for Entries themed "Audio-Visual Empowerment, Micro-drama for Rural Revitalization" was launched in Gaozhou. In Tandicun Village of Gaozhou, Maoming, more than 100 micro-dramas have been produced in less than two years, while over 300 villagers have become actors. Last year alone, the village generated more than 5 million yuan through the micro-drama economy, increasing collective village income by 40% and raising the average per capita annual income of local villagers from 43,000 yuan to 52,000 yuan.
The charm of lychee is also fully displayed on sports fields. On May 16th, at Zhanjiang's home match of the Guangdong Super League, a creative segment named "Time-travel Lychee Delivery" was held. Actors portrayed Su Dongpo and presented 200 kilograms of fresh Lianjiang lychees to players of the visiting team. The perfect blend of fresh lychees and on-field passion has formed a unique Lingnan scenery.
In Guangdong, a building shaped like a peeled lychee has become a popular "check-in" spot for young people. As Guangdong's first lychee-themed service area, Baiqiao Service Area on the Baotou-Maoming Expressway has received over 7.1 million visitors within one year of opening, driving the cultural tourism revenue of surrounding areas to exceed 130 million yuan.
From lychee coffee and agricultural live streaming rooms to check-in videos by online influencers and live broadcasts hosted by lychee-themed young creators, the thousand-year-old lychee culture has gained widespread popularity via youth-oriented expressions. Bus Route 411 in downtown Maoming links up core scenic spots such as the China Lychee Expo Center, the Gongyuan Orchard and Boqiao Village. A four-season cultural tourism landscape has taken shape, allowing visitors to enjoy blossoms in spring, pick fruits in summer, attend study tours in autumn and escape the cold in winter.