7月7日，中国日报国际版头版、国内版头版、中国日报网首页刊发《CHINESE CALENDAR ENTERS A BERRY SPECIAL TIME（中国迎来杨梅季）》，报道了仙居利用海拔落差错峰栽培仙居杨梅，拉长采收期。在成熟的产业链条下，杨梅经预冷分级、冷链物流，次日可达全国200多城，甚至空运至新加坡、意大利等地。
《CHINESE CALENDAR ENTERS A BERRY SPECIAL TIME
（中国迎来杨梅季）》
中国日报国际版头版、国内版头版
中国日报网首页
原文如下
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.
（随着小暑节气在周二到来，中国东部初夏进入了最炽热的阶段。在浙江台州的仙居县，杨梅已完全成熟，标志着这一地区最受关注的时令收获季达到最佳时期。
凌晨3点左右，天还没亮，仙居的山间已经亮起点点灯光。种植户们戴着头灯，在黑暗中穿行于果园，仔细采摘成熟度最佳的果实。仙居县农业农村局特产技术推广中心主任吴玉勇至今仍清晰地记得这番景象。“远远望去，整座山就像撒满了星星。”他说，“非常壮观。”
采摘下来的杨梅被迅速运往分拣和加工环节。当地主栽品种是东魁杨梅，它因个头大、汁水足、酸甜平衡而闻名全国。完全成熟时，果实由鲜红转为深紫黑色。
种植户张洪军从事杨梅种植近30年，他说，颜色是判断成熟度的关键指标。“黑色代表完全成熟。”他说，“红色的果子还带点酸，颜色越深越甜。”
在初夏的暑热中，杨梅被普遍认为是清凉解暑的时令水果。
仙居根据海拔差异建立了梯次种植体系。低海拔果园的杨梅目前正在收尾，而中高海拔地区正进入采摘高峰期。“海拔每升高100米，成熟期延迟大约两到三天。”吴玉勇说。这套体系将采收期从6月初一直延续到盛夏，果实随海拔升高而梯次成熟。
仙居的纬度使其处于优质水果种植带。这里多山的地形、湿润的气候和显著的昼夜温差，有助于果实积累果糖和风味物质。该地区的火山流纹岩地质使土壤呈弱酸性，非常适合杨梅生长。
如今，仙居拥有约1万公顷的杨梅果园。
在小暑时节吃杨梅，也是中国悠久的“不时不食”传统的一部分。人们顺应自然节律，在夏季尤其偏爱酸甜水果，酸味有助于开胃，甜味则能带来平衡。
在仙居，杨梅季还带来了家传习俗，比如制作杨梅酒。人们用糖腌制新鲜杨梅，或将其发酵成果酒，将杨梅的风味延续到采收季之后。
种植户张洪军说，仙居杨梅品牌是“几代人传承下来的”，既代表了经济价值，也承载着地方认同。杨梅不仅意味着收入，更代表着地域声誉。
该产业还建立了现代物流体系，以满足日益增长的需求。
顺丰速运仙居杨梅项目负责人吴豪杰介绍：“采摘后，杨梅立即被送往预冷、分级和包装环节。随后通过冷链物流运往全国各地。”
分拣标准日益精细。优质东魁杨梅单颗重量可达35克以上，大小堪比乒乓球。
随后，杨梅与冰袋一同装入保温箱，以保持新鲜度。如今，从仙居发出的杨梅已覆盖全国200多个城市。许多地区可实现次日达，杨梅还从上海空运至新加坡、意大利和法国等海外市场，主要服务于海外华人社区。
冷链物流的拓展，使仙居杨梅从地方时令水果转变为一个行销全国乃至全球的产品。
仙居杨梅的吸引力在于其酸甜的平衡。过甜会削弱其个性，而恰到好处的微酸则保留了其清爽感——正如节气本身一样，暑气渐升，但尚未达极致。）
编辑：符薇薇
一审：陈佳
二审：泮永翔
三审：黄元杰
来源：中国日报