Product Name: Chuliang Longan (Dimocarpus longan cv. Chuliang)
Description:
Chuliang Longan is a premium longan variety originating from Chuliang Village, Gaozhou City, Guangdong Province, China. It is recognized as a National Geographical Indication Product and one of the most representative varieties of Lingnan longan. Selected from a superior seedling variant in the 1980s, it has become the dominant longan variety in the Maoming production region, accounting for over 60% of total planting area and serving as the primary export variety. According to FAO records, Chuliang longan covers over 100,000 hectares nationwide, with approximately 30,000 hectares planted in Gaozhou alone.
A Longan That Delivers on Every Level:
The defining feature of Chuliang Longan is its exceptional fruit size and thick, meaty aril. Average fruit weight ranges from 12 to 16.5 grams, with premium specimens exceeding 18 grams – significantly larger than the common Shixia variety (9–11g). The aril thickness reaches 0.45 cm, and the edible rate is 69–74%, making it one of the highest-yielding longan varieties for fresh consumption.
Appearance:
The fruit is flat-round with slightly raised shoulders and a flat stem end, uniform in size. The skin is yellow-brown with a greenish tinge, medium-thick, and smooth with shallow turtle-shell markings and no radial striations at the stem end. Inside, the aril is milky white and opaque, crisp and firm, with a clean texture that does not release juice when cut.
Flavor & Sweetness:
Chuliang Longan delivers an exceptionally sweet, low-acid flavor with a total soluble solids content of 18.5%–23% and a remarkably low acidity of just 0.08%. The aril is crisp and refreshing, with a fragrant aroma and a clean, lingering sweetness. The fruit is freestone, with a small, dark brown seed weighing only 1.8 grams that separates easily from the flesh.
Nutritional & Medicinal Value:
Chuliang Longan is rich in Vitamin C (68 mg/100g), protein, B-complex vitamins, and essential minerals. As one of the first ingredients included in China's "Medicine-Food Homologous" catalog, it is valued in traditional Chinese medicine for nourishing the blood, calming the mind, and supporting heart and spleen health. It is particularly recommended for individuals with anemia or sleep difficulties, and has earned the reputation as the "Ginseng of the South".
Key Commercial Advantages:
Jumbo Fruit Size – 12–18g average, significantly larger than common longan varieties
Thick, Meaty Aril – 0.45cm thickness with 69–74% edible rate
High Sugar, Low Acid – 18.5–23% TSS with only 0.08% acidity
Freestone & Small Seed – Easy to eat with high edible yield
Excellent Storage & Transport Tolerance – Thicker skin and firm flesh outperform Shixia for shipping
Superior Drying Quality – Dried fruit rate of 35–38%, golden-yellow dried flesh, shells resist deformation and cracking
Award-Winning Quality – Gold Prize at the First China Agricultural Exposition (1992) and "Famous Brand Product" honors at subsequent national expositions
E-Commerce Leader – Accounted for 32% of longan sales on JD Fresh in 2024, ranking first in its category
Growing Regions:
Native to Chuliang Village, Gaozhou City, Guangdong Province, Chuliang Longan is now extensively cultivated in Maoming (Gaozhou and Dianbai districts), Yangjiang, and Lingshan (Guangxi) . The Maoming region, known as "China's Hometown of Longan," produces longan with exceptional size, sweetness, and eating quality due to its subtropical monsoon climate, abundant sunshine, and well-drained soils.
Cultivation Notes:
Climate: Annual sunshine ≥1,800 hours; ≥10°C accumulated temperature ≥2,500°C; annual average temperature 22–26°C; winter minimum ≥0°C; 15 days of 13–15°C low temperature required for flower bud differentiation
Site Selection: Sunny, well-drained flatland, hillside, or gentle slopes (below 20°); sandy loam or red loam with pH 5.5–6.5; underground water table below 100 cm
Planting Time: February to May (spring); early February in frost-free southern regions
Flower Management: Chuliang is a low-temperature-induced flowering variety; physiological differentiation begins in late October, morphological differentiation from December to January. Key practices: suppress winter flushes, promote flower bud differentiation, and enhance panicle quality. Core principles: "control shoots, irrigate, fertilize, and prevent flush-over"
Pruning: Remove crossing, weak, diseased, and overly dense branches to improve ventilation and light penetration. When panicles reach 5–8 cm, spray 15% paclobutrazol WP at 300× + 0.2% monopotassium phosphate, twice at 7-day intervals
Water Management: Follow the principle of “promote flowering in winter, protect flowers in spring, stabilize fruit in summer, coordinate year-round” ; maintain soil moisture at 60–70% of field capacity during fruit swelling; avoid waterlogging
Pest & Disease Management: Chuliang has weak resistance to anthracnose and longan witches' broom disease; strengthen preventive management. Refer to NY/T 1479 Longan Pest and Disease Control Technical Regulations
Grafting Note: Graft union compatibility is relatively poor; select appropriate rootstock combinations carefully
Harvest Season:
Mid-July to mid-August – with the main season in Gaozhou running from mid-July to early August. A premium mid-season longan that delivers jumbo fruit size, thick meaty aril, exceptional sweetness, and outstanding storage tolerance – ideal for fresh market sales, e-commerce logistics, gift packaging, and dried longan processing. With its National Geographical Indication status and award-winning quality, Chuliang Longan commands premium pricing and strong consumer demand in both domestic and international markets.