Zhongxian, Chongqing – July 19
Zhongxian’s Citrus Industry Draws International Spotlight as Overseas Chinese Media Embark on Field Visit
As part of the “Walking in China: 2025 Sichuan-Chongqing Tour for Overseas Chinese Media”, a delegation of international Chinese-language media visited Zhongxian County in Chongqing. At locations such as the Three Gorges Citrus Sea and the Zhongxian Modern Agricultural Citrus Industrial Park, journalists posed a flurry of questions:
“Are drones used for transporting the citrus?” “Are these oranges exported? If so, where to?”
The Three Gorges Citrus Sea, located in Youyi Village of Tujing Township, is not only the hometown of renowned modern Chinese writer Ma Shitu, but also home to expansive citrus orchards.
Liu Lanling, a journalist from Qian Dao Daily (Indonesia), who grew up in Guangdong, shared that the film “Let the Bullets Fly”, adapted from Ma’s work, was also shot in Guangdong — adding a sense of familiarity to her visit. After tasting juice made from locally grown oranges, she praised the balanced sweet-sour flavor.
Speaking to China News Service, Liu said many overseas Chinese in Indonesia are closely following China’s rural revitalization. To her, industrial development is the foundation of rural transformation. She noted that Zhongxian has already formed a full industrial chain — from cultivation to processing and marketing — that serves as a model for empowering rural communities.
For Zhu Jiazhuang, a senior journalist at HK01 on his first visit to Chongqing, the sheer scale and modernization of the citrus plantations were “shocking.” He believes more Hong Kong youth should explore mainland China to witness such achievements and share them back home.
Wu Jun, reporter at Middle East Oasis Media (UAE), expressed strong interest in the integration of low-altitude drone economy into agriculture. Zhou Kangwei, Party Secretary of Youyi Village, shared that many villagers have obtained drone operation licenses and are already using drones for crop spraying and protection.
Wu noted parallels in the UAE, where technology is enabling agriculture even in deserts — from growing vegetables to herbs — some reaching commercial scale. He hopes for deeper cooperation in agri-tech between the two regions and is eager to act as a communication bridge.
“Now that our local industry is booming, many young people are returning,” Zhou added. With the average annual income in the village now exceeding 20,000 yuan, many post-80s and 90s residents have returned to manage orchards or join the citrus industry, enjoying a prosperous “citrus economy.”
Yan Jia, Deputy Director of the Brazil-China Communication Agency, was particularly interested in the overseas market for Zhongxian oranges, which are already exported to Malaysia, Singapore, and Laos. With Brazil’s robust citrus industry and a public fondness for oranges and related products, Yan is considering how to connect the two regions — perhaps by inviting Chongqing enterprises and industry groups to participate in exhibitions and forums in South America.
Jin Hao, Editor-in-Chief of Voice of West Africa (Côte d’Ivoire), was impressed after tasting orange juice produced in Zhongxian. “Such good products shouldn’t just stay within China. They should go global — to Africa, Europe, and beyond,” he said, expressing a desire to support the international promotion and export of Zhongxian’s citrus products.
The media tour is jointly organized by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Offices, Information Offices, and Overseas Chinese Federations of Chongqing and Sichuan, alongside China News Service Chongqing and Sichuan Bureaus, and the overseas friendship associations of both provinces.
Over the two-week itinerary, the media delegation will travel to Zhongxian County, Jiangbei District, Liangjiang New Area, Shapingba District, as well as Dazhou, Guangyuan, and Chengdu in Sichuan Province. Their reporting will focus on regional economic integration, industrial modernization, technological innovation, the development of international consumer cities, rural revitalization, and cultural tourism — offering the world a vivid, objective, and authentic view of modern Sichuan and Chongqing.