An International media tour in Maoming, China: The land of lychees, the coastal oil city

MAOMING, China, May 24, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

On May 21-23, the “Chinese Culture Tour” media delegation, consisting of journalists and photographers from internationally renowned outlets visited Maoming, a coastal city known for its lychees. They focused their lenses on the vibrant development of Maoming.

Maoming is known as the “Hometown of Lychees in China”. The people of Maoming have loved and cultivated lychees for over 2,000 years. To gain a deeper understanding of lychee culture, the media delegation visited the ancient lychee orchard in Baiqiao Village which is referred to as a “living museum” of lychees. “The ancient lychee trees here have endured centuries of weather but remain vibrant and fruitful,” The relevant person in charge of the Information Office of the Maoming Municipal Government said, who guided the tour.

Outside the China Lychee Exhibition Hall, both domestic and international journalists experienced the intangible cultural heritage of Gaozhou woodcut art. The creation of Gaozhou woodcuts uses knives instead of brushes, with precise techniques akin to calligraphy. Each cut is deliberate and fine, making it a significant intangible cultural heritage of Chinese culture.

Maoming is a coastal city that ingeniously utilizes its unique coastal ecological resources and Danjia culture to create a new model for rural revitalization that integrates fishing, industry, culture, and tourism — the Danjia Market. This market highlights various cultural themes, such as Madam Xian culture, Li ethnic culture, Danjia culture, and maritime trade culture, showcasing Maoming’s traditional “chenshi” (market) culture. The Danjia Market is not only a tourist destination but also a model for integrated industrial development.

Maoming was born from, prospered by, and became famous for its oil. The mine ecological park has taken shape located on the origin spot where the oil stone was dug. The park now gradually showcases a landscape of rippling waters, verdant greenery, blooming flowers, chirping birds, cultural gatherings, and bustling tourists enjoying leisure activities. “In the sunlight, the east side of the lake looks like a blue sapphire. It’s hard to imagine what an amazing butterfly transformation it has undergone to it,” said Rafael Saavedra, a vlogger from Venezuela.

Visiting along Petrochemical Tower in Sinopec (Maoming) Chemical Co., Ltd, everyone was interested in the ecological pool at the sewage treatment site of the ethylene plant, and touched the changes of “green and low-carbon” development.

Dianbai District in Maoming is known as the “Hometown of Agarwood in China”, with a 1,500-year history of agarwood harvesting and processing. The annual output value is nearly 4 billion yuan, and the products are exported to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Americas, and other regions. Foreign friends strolled through the Shadong Agarwood Market, lingered in the Agarwood Museum, experienced incense making, with tranquility and concentration, ingenuity and ingenuity, and experienced the beauty of oriental culture.