World traveller: Lychees about to be shipped overseas. Helped by research, the fruit can stay fresh for 35 days, allowing it to be shipped to Europe. — Bloomberg
GUANGZHOU: During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Emperor Xuanzong had a seven-day horse relay transport lychees from Guangdong in the south to the then capital Xi’an to satisfy the appetite of his favourite concubine Yang Yuhuan.
Today, the fruit takes less than a day to cover the same 1,700km, and thousands of tonnes go overseas every year.
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