Workers harvest lychee fruit. [Photo by Zheng Erqi/chinadaily.com.cn]

An ancient lychee tree became a tourist attraction recently as it was laden with fruit in the Luogang subdistrict of Huangpu district in Guangzhou. Located in front of the Yuyan Academy, the tree is estimated to be more than 1,000-year-old — one of the oldest trees recorded in the city.

Every day, many local people are attracted to the tree and its round, sweet fruit.

"I have lived here for six decades, and this year's fruit is particularly abundant — at least 50 kilograms," said Zhong Minxian, a local resident.

After thousands of years, the lychee tree is still green and luxuriant in its fruit period. Located in the eastern part of Guangzhou, Huangpu district is one of the major lychee production bases in the province, which has a profound lychee culture and thousands of years of history planting and growing the trees. The district has many lychee trees more than 300 years old. 

Residents visit the lychee park in Guangzhou's Huangpu district to see trees loaded with fruit. [Photo by Zheng Erqi/chinadaily.com.cn]

Xiang Xu, a researcher at the Institute of Fruit Tree Research at Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, said Huangpu district attaches great importance to the protection of its old lychee trees and has done a good job in past years.

Tao Feng, deputy director of the Huangpu district bureau of agriculture and rural affairs, said the district now has a lychee planting area of more than 13 square kilometers, with many lychee trees more than 100 years old.

"The district has the largest ancient lychee community in the province," Tao said. The district projects it will harvest more than 7,000 metric tons of lychee fruit this year.

Workers harvest lychee fruit. [Photo by Zheng Erqi/chinadaily.com.cn]

A man looks at lychee fruit. [Photo by Zheng Erqi/chinadaily.com.cn]

Workers harvest lychee fruit. [Photo by Zheng Erqi/chinadaily.com.cn]

A resident visits the lychee park in Guangzhou's Huangpu district to see trees loaded with fruit. [Photo by Zheng Erqi/chinadaily.com.cn]