Sanya Durian Festival kicks off

Durians from Sanya are neatly arranged at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Sanya Durian Festival on July 26, ready for consumers to purchase and taste. [Photo/Sanya Daily]

Right now — at the very peak of summer in July — the air is suffused with the heady aroma of durians in Sanya.

The 2026 Sanya Durian Festival officially kicked off on July 26, attracting government officials, business representatives and delegates from neighboring areas. Distributors, industry experts, media and consumers from all over the country have also been streaming in to celebrate the sweetness of Sanya.

From the 2024 China-ASEAN Durian Industry Seminar which marked the beginning of international collaboration in durian production, to the 2025 Hainan Durian Production and Sales Matching Event that has helped establish the "tree-ripened, naturally fragrant" brand, and to this year's durian festival, Sanya's durian industry has made significant strides, from merely producing durians to producing durians of premium quality.

Currently, the city's durian cultivation area covers more than 18,000 mu (1,200 hectares), with about 5,000 mu actively bearing fruit.

The core planting area in the Yucai Ecological Zone has been approved as a provincial-level advantageous and characteristic industry cluster, and the country's first intelligent durian AI inspection and sorting line has been built there.

To date, Sanya has established a complete durian production and supply chain encompassing seedling breeding, smart planting, intelligent sorting, cold-chain logistics and the integration of agriculture and tourism.

Overall, 2026 is widely seen as being crucial for Sanya's durian industry.

Having laid the foundations for top brand and quality control, this year's core task is to introduce and endear Sanya durians to consumers nationwide.

The Sanya Durian Festival is focusing on three main themes: Knowledge dissemination, cultural and tourism integration, and industry investment promotion. It aims to help the public know better about the quality standards and to help popularize the brand image of eating tree-ripened durians in Sanya.

It also aims to connect producers with carnival events to form summer tourism routes, while establishing a production and sales platform to facilitate supply and distribution cooperation.

In recent years, the Sanya municipal Party committee and government have placed greater emphasis on the development of tropical specialty and efficient agriculture. The city will leverage this year's durian festival to share advanced experience, promote industry innovation and allow more people to savor the tree-ripened sweetness from 18 degrees north latitude.