In the summer of 2025, China’s screens are awash with the lush landscapes of The Litchi Road (长安的荔枝). In this historical drama, Tang Dynasty clerk Li Shande (李善德) races against time to deliver fresh lychees from Lingnan (岭南，modern Guangdong) to the emperor in Chang’an (长安， today’s Xi’an). Beyond its cinematic appeal, this series has unleashed an unprecedented cultural and economic wave-dubbed the “lychee fever”-reshaping industries from agriculture to tourism.
The Consumer Frenzy: When Drama Fuels Demand
Lychee sales have exploded since the show’s debut. Data from JD.com reveals a staggering 560% year-on-year surge in Guangdong (广东) lychee purchases, while searches for ”Guangdong lychee” on Meituan spiked 143% in early June. Supermarkets now feature dedicated lychee displays, and premium varieties, such as Feizixiao (the “Imperial Concubine’s Smile,” named after the royal favorite of the show), sell out daily.
The show’s marketing genius lies in its immersive cross-promotion. Actors like Lei Jiayin (雷佳音) post videos urging fans to “eat lychees while watching Lychee,” while social media campaigns like #EatWithRoyalLychee trend nationwide. Brands have jumped in too: limited-edition lychee gift boxes, packaged with Tang Dynasty aesthetics, fly off the shelves, blending historical fantasy with modern snacking rituals.
Even celebrities amplify the hype. Shu Qi’s (舒淇) viral selfies of munching lychees while binge-watching epitomize the cultural moment. As one Beijing fruit vendor noted, “We used to sell lychees; now we’re selling a piece of the Tang Dynasty dream”.
Tourism and Tech: Lychees Beyond the Screen
Guangdong and Xi’an (西安), the drama’s real-world backdrops, now teem with tourists. Travel platforms overflow with The Litchi Road -themed itineraries: visitors retrace Li Shande’s route, sampling lychees at orchards, hiking ancient post roads, and posing in “Tang-style” markets. In Xi’an-where The Longest Day in Chang’an (长安十二时辰, 2019) inspired the creation of a blockbuster-themed park—developers are already eyeing similar immersive experiences for The Litchi Road.
Behind the scenes, technology enables this lychee revolution. Drones and AI-controlled cold-chain logistics slash delivery times from Guangdong to Xi’an from 7 days to under 30 hours. In hilly Gaozhou (高州), lychees now soar from orchards to airports via drone networks, cutting costs and spoilage. Guangdong’s “freeze-dormancy” preservation tech further extends shelf life, ensuring fruit survives journeys even Li Shande couldn’t imagine.
The ripple effect uplifts rural economies. Lychee farming employs 1.8 million people in Guangdong alone, and this year’s boom has lifted prices by 15-30%. In Chongqing’s (重庆) Fuling district, farmers tend 10,000 acres of Feizixiao（妃子笑）trees- their annual $13 million harvest now buoyed by tourists seeking “imperial lychees. "
The New Playbook: Content as Economic Catalyst
The Litchi Road exemplifies a golden formula in China’s cultural economy: hit content + strategic partnerships + agricultural modernization. The show collaborated early with Guangdong’s tourism and agriculture bureaus, embedding lychee lore into plotlines while showcasing local innovations like the China Lychee Museum. At a Beijing fan event, producers even reenacted the show’s central fresh lychees sped from Guangdong to the capital in 12 hours—blurring fiction and reality.
This synergy isn’t new. K-drama You Who Came from the Stars (来自星星的你) (2013) ignited a global chicken-and-beer craze, while My Altay (我的阿勒泰) (2024) boosted tourism in Xinjiang by 88%. But The Litchi Road pushes further: it anchors Guangdong’s “66 Lychee Festival”, where tech meets tradition via helicopter tours over orchards and digital lychee-tracking games.
For producers, the implications are profound. As streaming giants like Tencent Video monetize IP through ”drama-assisted farming," studios now eye theme parks inspired by Disney’s $8.9 billion experience division. Light Chaser Animation (Ne Zha) and iQiyi (爱奇艺) are already scouting sites for China’s answer to Epcot.
A Fuling farmer’s words capture this cultural alchemy: “The emperors’ lychees once pleased a concubine; today, they sweeten ordinary lives.”From ancient tribute fruit to modern economic engine, the lychee’s journey mirrors China’s broader shift. These fruits are not merely part of historical tales; they have tangible impacts, reshaping landscapes, livelihoods, and even daily diets. As one Xi’an lychee seller put it: “History sells, especially when it tastes this good.”
