Chinese historical drama boosts summer fruit sales

A hit drama series in China has boosted the popularity of a summer fruit favorite, the lychee.

In the new historical drama, "The Lychee Road" (2025), a low-ranking official is tasked with delivering fresh lychees over 2,500 kilometers from southern China to the imperial palace in Chang'an — all in time for Consort Yang's birthday.

Adapted from a Chinese novel with the same name, the series has captivated audiences with its mix of history and humor. It's also making the real-life fruit a runaway hit this summer.

In Maoming City of south China's Guangdong Province where every fifth lychee in the world comes from, tourism campaigns themed around lychees have gained popularity this year.

"In this year's lychee season, the number of tourists is expected to surge more than 150 percent compared to the same period last year," said Huo Wu, deputy director of Maoming Culture and Tourism Bureau.

And it's not just the orchards feeling the rush. Along an expressway there, a newly opened service area has become a lychee-themed destination. Travelers can sip lychee coffee, send postcards from a lychee post office, and browse for lychee-themed souvenirs, all part of a multi-sensory tribute to the fruit.

Native to southern China, the lychee is loved for its sweet, floral flavor and juicy texture.

Beneath its spiky red skin is a translucent flesh that's packed with vitamin C, antioxidants, and hydration, making it not only delicious but a healthy summer pick-me-up.

In neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the lychee season is also in full swing.

The region's famed "Feizixiao" variety, literally "the smile of the beauty", is finishing its harvest, while the beloved "Guiwei" lychees are about to take over.

Online, over 300,000 orders have already been placed, and producers are gearing up for nationwide promotions and even international exports.

"We’re collecting 50,000 kilograms of lychee per day. Our e-commerce orders alone are between 10,000 and 20,000 packages daily," said Chen Huang, tech director of Lingshan Agricultural Company. The fruit has also become a star ingredient in this year's hottest summer drinks. Lychee-flavored teas and juices are dominating sales charts.

"I used to think fruit juice never tasted like the real thing. But this one is different -- it's like biting into a fresh lychee. So juicy and sweet," said Mr. Xu, a lychee juice customer.

Bakeries are also joining the trend with lychee mousse cakes and fruit-filled pastries.

Coffee shops are serving up lychee lattes and even lychee Americanos. Thanks to the hit drama, lychee has been enjoying a starring role both on screen and at the table.

Chinese historical drama boosts summer fruit sales

The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippine city of Cebu has risen to eight by Monday morning as search and rescue operations continued for another 28 missing people.

The landfill collapse occurred on Thursday as dozens of sanitation workers were working at the site. The disaster has already caused injuries of 18 people.

Family members of the missing people said the rescue progress is slow, and the hope for the survival of their loved ones is fading.

"For me, maybe I’ve accepted the worst result already because the garbage is poisonous and yesterday, it was raining very hard the whole day. Maybe they’ve been poisoned. For us, alive or dead, I hope we can get their bodies out of the garbage rubble," said Maria Kareen Rubin, a family member of a victim.

Families have set up camps on high ground near the landfill, awaiting news of their relatives. Some people at the site said cries for help could still be heard hours after the landfill collapsed, but these voices gradually faded away.

Bienvenido Ranido, who lost his wife in the disaster, said he can't believe all that happened.

"After they gave my wife oxygen, my kids and I were expecting that she would be saved that night because she was still alive. But the night came and till the next morning, they didn't manage to save her," he said.

Death toll in central Philippine landfill collapse rises to eight