Representatives from global firms and expats living in Nanshan District gathered at the Xili Orchard on June 21 for a unique lychee-picking event, which aimed to foster cultural exchange and strengthen ties between local Shenzhen communities and international professionals.

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.

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

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

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

Safakath Karuthedath, a professor at Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, picks litchis during the event at Xili Orchard in Nanshan District on June 21.

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

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.

Francine Hadjisotiriou, general manager of the European Union Chamber of Commerce South China Chapter, brought her family to the event.

“What’s interesting is that they taught us what is the right way to pick, the differences between the varieties, when is the right day to pick which variety, and how to open them. This was very useful,” Hadjisotiriou’s husband shared.

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

The Nanshan lychee harvest season officially kicked off 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 lychees 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.