Chinese calendar enters a berry special time

As the solar term Minor Heat, or xiao shu, arrives on Tuesday, early summer in eastern China moves into its most intense phase. In Xianju county of Taizhou, Zhejiang province, bayberries have reached full ripeness, marking the height of one of the region's most closely watched seasonal harvests.

Before dawn — around 3 am — the hills of Xianju are already dotted with moving lights. Growers wearing headlamps climb through orchards in the dark, carefully picking fruit at its peak maturity. Wu Yuyong, director of the Specialty Technology Promotion Center at the Xianju County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, still recalls the scene vividly.

"From a distance, the whole mountain looks like scattered stars," he said. "It is quite spectacular."

Harvested fruit is quickly transported for sorting and processing. The main variety is Dongkui bayberry, widely recognized across China for its large size, juiciness and balanced sweet and tart flavor. When fully ripe, the fruit turns from bright red to a deep purplish black.

Grower Zhang Hongjun, who has worked with bayberries for nearly 30 years, said that color is the key indicator of ripeness.

"Black means it is fully ripe," he said. "Red berries are still slightly sour, while darker ones are sweeter."

In early summer heat, it is widely regarded as a refreshing seasonal fruit that helps balance rising temperatures.

Xianju has developed a staggered cultivation system based on elevation differences. Fruit from lower-altitude orchards is now finishing harvest, while mid — and high-altitude areas are entering peak season.

"For every 100 meters of elevation, maturity is delayed by about two to three days," Wu said. The system extends the harvest window from early June into midsummer, as fruit ripens progressively across the mountainous landscape.

Its latitude puts Xianju within a prime fruit-growing belt. Its mountainous terrain, humid climate and pronounced day-night temperature differences help fruit accumulate fructose and flavor. The region's volcanic rhyolitic geology further contributes to slightly acidic soil that is well suited to bayberry cultivation.

Today, Xianju has about 10,000 hectares of bayberry orchards.

Eating bayberries during Minor Heat is also part of China's broader tradition of seasonal eating, in which diets follow natural rhythms. Sour and sweet fruits are especially favored in summer, with acidity stimulating appetite and sweetness providing balance.

In Xianju, the bayberry season also brings household traditions such as making bayberry wine. Fresh fruit is preserved with sugar or fermented into liquor, extending its seasonal presence beyond the harvest period.

Zhang, the grower, said the Xianju bayberry brand has been "maintained across generations", reflecting both economic value and local identity. The fruit represents not only income, but also regional reputation.

The industry has also built a modern logistics system to match growing demand.

Wu Haojie, head of SF Express's Xianju bayberry project, noted that "after harvesting, the fruit is immediately sent for precooling, grading and packaging".

"It is then transported nationwide through cold-chain logistics," Wu said.

Sorting standards have become increasingly precise. Premium Dongkui bayberries can weigh more than 35 grams each, comparable in size to table tennis balls.

The fruit is then packed with ice bags in insulated boxes to maintain freshness. From Xianju, shipments now reach more than 200 cities across China. Many destinations receive deliveries the next day, while orders are also flown from Shanghai to overseas markets including Singapore, Italy and France, primarily serving Chinese communities abroad.

The expansion of cold-chain logistics has transformed Xianju bayberries from a local seasonal product into a nationally distributed — and increasingly global — fruit.

The appeal of Xianju bayberries lies in their balance of sweetness and acidity. Excessive sweetness would weaken their character, while a gentle tartness preserves freshness — mirroring the seasonal transition itself, when heat is rising but has not yet reached its peak.